stuff it (and then fry it)
Recipe: fried stuffed olives
On rare occasion Kaweah gets weird and needy at night and this is one of those nights. She’s demanding my attention right now (pawing at me, resting her chin on my lap, shoving her nose under my forearm so I can’t type). This happens whenever one of us is on travel. Jeremy used to think it only happened when I was away because I’m her alpha, but it’s clear that she doesn’t like it when Jeremy is on travel either. This post will have to be quick.
I tried a recipe on Tuesday and liked it so much that I had it jump the queue to share with you. The first time I had this dish was last April in Seattle at Black Bottle. Fried olives with remoulade sauce. Salty? Check! Crunchy? Check! Bite-size? Check! It’s kinda like olive-katsu, but not really.
pitted spanish olives, goat cheese, eggs, flour, panko crumbs, parmesan
Make the remoulade sauce first because it requires a few hours of mellowing out in the refrigerator which is plenty of time to prepare the olives. The remoulade involves gathering a bunch of ingredients:
creole seasoning, mayo, pickle juice, horseradish, paprika, tabasco, garlic, mustard
mashing up a clove of garlic
placing all of the remoulade ingredients in a bowl
and stirring it together
pretty color
Once the remoulade sauce is blended, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. That took all of three seconds, right? The olives take a little longer than that, but I promise it is worth the extra trouble. You can stuff the olives with anything you like, but herbed goat cheese sounded good to me. I piped it into the cavity with a piping bag and piping tip. It helps to use a tip with a diameter smaller than that of the olive cavity.
piping herbed goat cheese into the olive
yes, do this step all at once
Next, you’ll want to do a little assembly line work with the flour in one bowl, the eggs (or just one egg is enough, I discovered) beaten in another bowl, and then the panko crumbs and grated Parmesan mixed together in the third bowl. Roll each olive in flour, then dip it in egg, and coat it with the bread crumb and cheese mixture. Try to get as complete a coating as possible.
rolling in the flour
dip in the egg
ready for frying (handle gently or the crust will come off)
Because I hate using huge amounts of oil for frying, I heated 2-inches of vegetable oil in a small saucepan and fried the olives in small batches of 5-6. I set them into the hot oil gently with chopsticks, but tongs, a spoon, or a fork will work fine too. The olives will turn golden in about a minute, and if you go past a certain point, the goat cheese will begin to ooze out and make a loud splattering sound when it hits the oil. Try to take them out before this happens. When I fish out the olives, I use a little mesh skimmer scoop that I picked up for $.99 at some Asian market. I can scoop them all out at once. Nifty!
fried golden perfection
serve with remoulade on the side
Don’t serve the fried olives right out of the fryer because they will be HOT! Give them a few minutes to come down from mouth-burning temperatures. These make a beautiful appetizer for parties and the olives are great fun to eat.
happy snack
Fried Stuffed Olives
[print recipe]
inspired by Black Bottle in Seattle
1 cup remoulade sauce (to serve with – see recipe below)
oil for frying
24 large Spanish olives, pitted
2 oz herbed goat cheese (or whatever you want to stuff the olives with), softened
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
remoulade sauce
from Simply Recipes
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard (Creole, if possible – I used spicy brown mustard)
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1-2 tsps cajun or creole seasoning
2 tsps prepared horseradish
1 tsp pickle juice (or use lemon juice or vinegar)
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed
Remoulade sauce: Mix everything together and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Olives: Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a small saucepan on high heat. Stuff each olive with goat cheese either by rolling little plugs and shoving them into the olives or using a piping bag and tip (make sure the tip is small enough to fit in the olive hole). Mix the panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. Set aside. Place the flour in a small bowl. Beat the egg in another small bowl. For each olive, roll it in flour to coat it completely, dip it in the egg to coat completely, and finally roll it in the panko crumbs. When the oil is hot (350°F or when a panko crumb sizzles when it is tossed into the oil), carefully add 5-6 olives at a time. I use chopsticks to lower them, but if you aren’t comfortable with chopsticks, use tongs or a fork or spoon. Fry the olives until browned (takes about a minute or less) or until the goat cheese starts to bubble out. You’ll know when this happens because it starts to get loud. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or a cooling rack. Repeat until all of the olives are fried. Let cool slightly and serve with Remoulade sauce. Makes 24.
January 11th, 2012 at 1:41 am
these look lovely but also reminded me of a discussion I just had last week. In Italy there is something very similar, olive ascolane, but it never comes with a sauce. (Actually almost nothing comes with a sauce in Italy.) The idea is that the dish itself has balance, and the flavors stand out, without the help/intrusion of a sauce. Here the filling is much more complex, to have the balanced final result with the olive alone. Anyways, in no way am I against what you have created, it just struck me in its philosophy that is so much different than Italian cooking. A recent study (I think you referred to it, too, on fb?) was implying a similarity of philosophies in South European and East Asian cooking (opposite flavors), I wonder if you agree with this.
January 11th, 2012 at 6:09 am
My husband loves olives. These look so good that I think I’ll have to make some for him!
January 11th, 2012 at 8:01 am
that does sound seriously addicting.
I would make these just so I could buy that cute little serving dish to put them in.
January 11th, 2012 at 8:09 am
These look so pretty! I love olives and who doesn’t love anything fried in panko crumbs served with a remoulade sauce. This is on the list to make asap. Thanks!
January 11th, 2012 at 8:49 am
It’s not even funny how much I would like to eat a plate of these. It’s 10:48 a.m. in NY. (No, I am not pregnant.) I can’t wait to try this next time we have people over.
January 11th, 2012 at 9:22 am
What a great recipe, Jen. Stuffed, fried olives are a very popular Italian appetizer and I have always loved them. They are commonly part of an antipasto spread in Italian pizzerias. I could make a dinner out of just these! I love how the briny, acidic tang of the olives contrasts with the mellower, creamy cheese stuffing. And the crunchy coating is the best part, pf course. Now you have me craving these! As always, beautiful pictures. Hope Kaweah is feeling more relaxed–I know all too well what it’s like to have a dog who needs extra attention and TLC from time to time {except mine needs it on a daily basis–she’s still a puppy and hasn’t quite learned how to amuse herself!} xoxo
January 11th, 2012 at 9:23 am
OMG-We used to love these at a restaurant near us and then they closed! So yummy! Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing! FYI-Serve in a Martini Glass for a great presentation!!!!
January 11th, 2012 at 9:59 am
Ooops! that previous comment was for another blog! Sorry.
I did want to say that even though I really don’t care for olives, the ones you prepared look amazing and almost tempting! Wow. The breading on them looks perfect.
January 11th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
WOW this is some recipe!
January 11th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
This is so unique and absolutely lovely!
January 11th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Wow, I’ll bet I could get addicted to those babies….
January 11th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Wow, what a gorgeous appetizer! Where did you get the serving dish? I would love one of those…
We will definitely be making these! Great recipe!!
January 11th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
OH wow, these look incredible. If only I had a party to throw … Without one, I am sure I would just eat them all.
January 11th, 2012 at 7:05 pm
this works for me! I’ve never heard about deep fried olives but in my opinion they should be famous, they look a mazing!
January 11th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Haven’t tried something like this before…So excited to try something unique! Thanks for sharing!
January 12th, 2012 at 5:27 am
Wow! These look terrific! I am trying them tonight – I was looking for something to jazz up a bland dinner and this appetizer will do it.
Thanks!
January 12th, 2012 at 8:58 am
Wow these look amazing and I can’t wait to try them. Thanks for the recipe and wonderful tutorial to follow :-)
January 12th, 2012 at 9:58 am
munch, munch, mmmmunch…
January 12th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
I’ve been to Black Bottle many times (I love that place) but have never had these olives. What is wrong with me?? Jen, you make such a delicious thing look even more delicious and I will totally be making these for my next party. Thanks for the olive stuffing tip – I don’t think I would have thought of that.
January 12th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Oh my… I’m in a supper club with a bunch of ladies and our next theme is “Stuffed”. I was going to make ravioli but I just may have to change tack.
If we don’t have a pastry bag on hand, would a sandwich bag with the tip snipped work as a stand-in?
January 13th, 2012 at 6:31 am
What a delicious coincidence! Dana just mentioned that you had posted fried olives as well. Yours look fantastic, and I love the idea of serving them with remoulade!
January 14th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Wow these look amazing and remind me of some deep fried pickle slices I had recently that I didn’t think I would like but LOVED. The goat cheese is what I’m obsessed with right now, though, and I think this is the clincher! Well, that and that beautiful olive serving dish, which I also happen to own. :) Great taste and minds…. <3
January 15th, 2012 at 2:00 am
What a wonderful idea, I have a love/hate relationship with olives, but I’d defo enjoy these; thanks for sharing.
January 18th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
gah… want! Salty, briney, goaty, crispy, fried, creamy, spicy… want!
January 20th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Yum! I love stuffed olives by themselves. I can just imagine how good they taste breaded and fried!
January 21st, 2012 at 4:59 pm
I tried to make these today – but how do you get everything to stay covered in panko (or any bread crumb)? I can never get an even coat that completely covers the thing I am frying – therefore, the cheese came out of the olive and I ended up with semi-panko covered fried olives without cheese!
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Hande – yes, wasn’t that a fascinating study? I really think that’s the reason I get horrible cravings for SE Asian foods because of the contrasts in flavors. I like that much more than the one-sided flavor profiles. This recipe isn’t rooted in anything other than reproducing what a restaurant had served. I would be plenty happy just eating olives straight :)
vanillasugarblog – I rarely have need for that serving dish, so I was plenty happy to use it here :)
Kacey – you’re welcome!
deb – ha! You’re so funny :) Given how cute little Jacob is, I am surprised you haven’t had more yet!
Flavia – I’m kinda sad that I wasn’t aware of this earlier because I love them :) Thanks, Kaweah is doing well and more or less back to her ridiculous self. Ahhh, enjoy those puppy years. They go so quickly xoxo
Memoria – thank you!
Katrina – they’re quite addictive too.
Lisa – I think I picked it up at Crate and Barrel.
Nico – what’s 24 olives in yer belleh? ;)
beti – I was pretty thrilled the first time I ever had these and wondered why it wasn’t a common staple in every household ;)
Anna – you’re welcome :)
MJC – good on ya.
Robin – I hope it’s helpful!
Dana – I’m jealous that you have access to such a great place. I *love* their food. I’m guessing a rock star like you could totally own these olives :)
noëlle – yes, any bag with the corn snipped should work!
lisaiscooking – great minds!
Brynnie – I need to try deep fried pickles. OMG…
Debs – you’re welcome :)
Mollie – silly girl ;)
Brandon – very very awesome!
Anita – in the post I mentioned to try and get as complete a coating as possible and it’s because this is a real pain to fry if it’s not entirely coated. My olives were still wet with brine when I rolled them in flour. I think that’s the most important step there. When you dip in egg, let some of the egg run off (any pockets of flour will pop open and the egg will run off of it). Re-dip the olive in egg to get a complete coating, then finally in the panko. When frying, fry to just golden and remove. Overfrying will cause the cheese to bubble over. You’ll hear when that starts to happen because there will be a loud hollow boiling sound (different from regular frying) which is your cue to get those olives out of the oil. Good luck! I’ve had the same thing happen to me making goat cheese croquettes – what a pain!
January 24th, 2012 at 7:01 am
What could be better than deep fried olives I am so going to give this one a try. Thanks for sharing.
February 25th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
[…] Spanish Fried Olives […]
July 14th, 2012 at 7:55 am
It is winter in South Africa and we all loved the result of your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Hennie & Sandra
August 24th, 2012 at 8:47 am
why can we not pin this to Pinterest???
August 24th, 2012 at 8:49 am
Patsy – I don’t know? A lot of people have pinned this to pinterest, so it’s certainly possible.
January 31st, 2013 at 9:58 am
[…] userealbutter.com via Nicole Cook {Daily Dish Recipes} on […]
February 1st, 2013 at 8:36 am
[…] Fried Goat Cheese-Stuffed Olives with Remoulade Dipping Sauce […]
February 3rd, 2013 at 3:09 pm
I’m making these for the Super Bowl, too. In fact, it’s time to go bread and fry them. Thank you for this recipe. It sounds super delish.
February 4th, 2013 at 8:45 am
[…] Also for me – today begins the 3-week Cleanse. But before we get to that, I will let you know that I did, indeed, make two of my suggested Super Bowl treats; the Jalapeno Pull Bread and the Fried Olives. […]
January 23rd, 2017 at 5:45 pm
I have a hard time getting the panic to stick to the olives. I rolled them in the flour first. Regular breadcrumbs stick but it’s not the same texture. Any advice? Are you using just egg or an egg wash with water or milk?
January 24th, 2017 at 11:27 am
miriam – I’m using just egg. It is quite the ordeal to get everything coated, but it is possible. I suggest shaking off as much flour as possible before dipping in the egg. If the egg drips off, dip it again until it sticks to the olive then roll it in the panko. Try not to handle the panko too much after it is on the olive and then let it absorb some of the egg so it can stick.