Olive
all’Ascolana
Meat-stuffed fried olives from Marche
Large green olives wrap a finely minced meat filling beneath a crisp golden breadcrumb coat, served hot as small savory bites.
Crisp olives with a fine meat fillingA crisp golden coat,
an olive around the filling.
Olive all’ascolana are filled and fried green olives associated with Ascoli Piceno in Marche. A tender olive layer surrounds a finely minced cooked meat filling, usually combining different meats with cheese and delicate spice. A breadcrumb coating gives each small bite its crisp exterior.
The local Ascolana Tenera olive is especially valued for this preparation. Each olive is cut in a spiral, filled and shaped back into an oval before breading. This home recipe combines beef, pork and chicken, with a little nutmeg and lemon zest. Allow time for the careful handwork.
Explore by food: Bread, pizza & street food · Meat
At the table: Antipasti · Street food.
Let’s make olive all’ascolana.
About 40 stuffed olives for six appetizer portions. Choose large, firm green olives in brine, preferably Ascolana Tenera, with their pits still inside.
About 40 olives, serving six at six or seven each.
About 20 minutes of olive pitting fits within the 30-minute filling cool-down. Total allows 90 minutes preparation, 70 cooking and 30 cooling, less that 20-minute overlap.
What you’ll need
Olives
- 400 glarge whole green olives in brine, drained (about 40; weigh before pitting)
Filling
- 120 gbeef chuck, cut into 1 cm pieces
- 100 gpork shoulder, cut into 1 cm pieces
- 80 gchicken breast, cut into 1 cm pieces
- 40 gonion, finely chopped
- 30 gcarrot, finely chopped
- 20 gcelery, finely chopped
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 60 mldry white wine
- 40 mlwater
- 30 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 1egg
- ½ tspfinely grated lemon zest
- ⅛ tspground nutmeg
- to tasteblack pepper and a little salt
Coating
- 70 gplain flour
- 2eggs, beaten
- 150 gfine dry breadcrumbs
Frying
- 1 lsunflower oil, or enough for a 5 cm depth in your pan
The 90-minute preparation allowance includes careful hand-pitting, filling and coating. Pitting can begin during the 30-minute filling cool-down; other preparation remains separate. Olive size and meat moisture affect yield. If a little filling remains, cook it separately in a small pan to 74°C / 165°F rather than tasting it raw. No rice or melting cheese center is used.
How to make it
- 01
Cook the filling
Warm the olive oil in a frying pan. Soften the onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes. Add the beef, pork and chicken and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, then add 40 ml water. Cover and simmer gently for about 20–25 minutes until tender and cooked through, including at least 74°C / 165°F in the chicken. Uncover briefly if needed: the filling should be moist, with no puddle of liquid.
- 02
Cool and mince
Spread the cooked meat and vegetables on a plate and cool for about 30 minutes. Pulse in a food processor to a fine mince. Mix with the Parmigiano, one egg, lemon zest, nutmeg and black pepper. Use very little salt because the olives and cheese are already salty. Chill the mixture while you finish the olives.
- 03
Pit in a spiral
While the filling cools, cut around each olive with a small paring knife, following the pit in a continuous spiral as if peeling an apple. Remove the pit and keep the olive strip intact. Take your time and work over a board, directing the blade away from your fingers.
- 04
Fill and reshape
Divide the filling into roughly 40 small portions. Wrap an olive spiral around each portion and gently press back into a plump oval, keeping the green olive around the meat. The filling may extend a little beyond the spiral. Use the filling evenly rather than overstuffing the first few.
- 05
Coat the olives
Put the flour, two beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in three shallow dishes. Roll each stuffed olive in flour, shake off excess, then dip in egg and coat evenly in crumbs. Keep the coated olives refrigerated until the oil is ready.
- 06
Fry in batches
Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, stable pan to 170°C / 340°F, filling the pan no more than halfway. Fry the olives in four or five small batches for about 3–4 minutes until evenly golden, turning gently. Check a test olive reaches 74°C / 165°F in the filling. Let the oil return to temperature between batches, then drain on a rack or paper and serve hot.
More to discover…
SecondiAbbacchio alla Romana
Lamb braises with garlic, rosemary and white wine, then takes on a savory, lightly sharp sauce from anchovies and vinegar.
PrimiAcquacotta
Slow-cooked onions, celery and tomatoes make a savory broth, served over toasted bread with an egg and grated pecorino.
PrimiAgnolotti del Plin
Small pinched pasta parcels hold a fine filling of braised veal, pork and spinach, dressed simply with butter and sage.