Stuffed Olives Recipe

Prepare pistachio filling

Place the shelled pistachios in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped but still have a little texture (about the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the room-temperature cream cheese, grated parmesan, minced chives, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix until fully combined and smooth enough to pipe or spoon.

Stuff olives

Using a small piping bag (or a plastic bag with a corner snipped) or a small spoon, fill each pitted olive with about 1 teaspoon of the pistachio-cream cheese mixture. Press gently so the filling is compact but not bulging. Refrigerate the stuffed olives on a tray while you prepare the batter — chilling helps the filling stay put during frying.

Set up dredging station

Arrange three shallow bowls: one with 1 cup flour, one with the egg beaten with 1 cup cold sparkling water and 1/4 tsp salt (whisk to combine into a light batter), and one with 1/2 cup cornmeal (or panko) mixed with a pinch of salt. Note: the batter should be thin enough to coat but slightly bubbly from the sparkling water.

Bread the olives

Remove chilled stuffed olives from the fridge. Working in small batches (6–8 at a time), lightly toss each olive in flour to coat, shake off excess, dip into the sparkling-water batter to coat fully, then roll in the cornmeal/panko mixture to create a textured exterior. Place each coated olive on a tray and repeat until all are coated.

Fry the olives

Heat 3 to 4 cups neutral frying oil in a heavy saucepan or deep fryer to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle immediately and brown in ~45–60 seconds. Fry the coated olives in small batches, about 2–3 minutes per batch, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried olives to a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt while hot.

Keep warm

If making multiple batches, keep the finished olives in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven for up to 20 minutes to stay warm and crisp while you finish frying the rest.

While frying, whisk together 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp truffle oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust acidity or salt. Cover and chill until ready to serve — this mellows the raw garlic and lets the truffle flavor settle.

To serve, arrange warm stuffed olives on a platter. Spoon or pipe a small dollop of garlic truffle aioli beside or on top of each olive. Lightly dust with the chopped roasted pistachios for extra crunch and a sprinkle of microgreens or parsley for color. Finish with a final pinch of flaky sea salt.