#29 of Italian forgotten classic: Olive all’ascolana

#29 of Italian Forgotten Classics: Olive all’Ascolana (Marche)
Ingredients (Makes 40–50 olives):
For the filling:• 200 g beef (stew cut or roast scraps)• 200 g pork (shoulder or sausage)• 200 g chicken or veal (thigh or breast)• 1 chopped onion• 1 chopped carrot• 1 chopped celery• 150 ml dry white wine• 1 egg• 50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano• Pinch of nutmeg• Zest of ½ lemon (optional, traditional)• Salt and pepper, to taste• Strutto or olive oil, for sautéing
For the olives:• 40–50 Ascolana Tenera green olives (or other large, firm green olives, brine-cured, not sour)• Flour, for dredging• 4 beaten eggs• Breadcrumbs• Strutto, olive oil, or vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions:
1. Heat a large pan with strutto or olive oil. Sear the beef, pork, and chicken/veal until lightly browned.
2. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook gently until softened.
3. Deglaze with the white wine, season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Pass the entire mixture — juices included — through a meat grinder.
5. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the egg, Parmigiano, nutmeg, and lemon zest until well combined.
6. Pit the olives in a spiral cut, keeping them intact, and replace the seed with the meat filling, pressing gently to close.
7. Dredge each olive in flour, then in beaten egg mixed with a pinch of pepper and a little olive oil.
8. Coat in breadcrumbs, then repeat the egg and breadcrumb step for a double crust.
9. Fry in hot oil (170–175 °C) until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
10. Serve hot, plain, or with your preferred sauce — in the video, I used homemade mayonnaise.
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