Fried Stuffed Olives

Friends, drinks, nibbles - yes, yes and yes!


Fried Stuffed Olives
adapted from Delicious
Serves 10 - 12

For the Sauce:
600ml tomato passata
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Olives:
Jar pitted Kalamata olives, drained and patted dry with kitchen towel
50g feta
1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
Pinch chilli powder
1/4 cup plain flour
1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
2 cups panko
Sunflower oil for deep frying
Fresh oregano leaves
Extra virgin olive oil.

Make the Sauce:
Put the passata into a medium pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, smoked paprika and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes until reduced slightly. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Cook the Olives:
Crumble the feta into a bowl. Add the capers and chilli powder. Mix well.

Cut the olives down one side and open out like a book. Roll the feta mixture into tiny sausage shapes and stuff them into the cavity of the olive. Close the olive up.

Dredge the olives in the flour, dip them in the egg mixture and coat them in panko.

Heat the sunflower to 190C and fry the olives in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Once all the olives have been fried, drop a handful of fresh oregano leaves into the hot oil. Fry until crisp, lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. This will only take a few seconds.

To Serve:
Put a spoonful of tomato sauce into the centre of some small plates and smear with the back of the spoon. Top with 3 fried olives, sprinkle with fried oregano leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.