Olive All'ascolana Prosciutto Salame Rosa Recipe

Make whipped pecorino

Chill a small mixing bowl and the beaters in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Combine the grated pecorino, cold heavy cream, and softened butter in the chilled bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, whip until the mixture becomes light, fluffy and spreadable (about 1–2 minutes). Fold in the lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning; set aside in refrigerator until ready to use. Keep refrigerated; bring to cool room temperature (10–15 minutes) before using to fill olives if too firm.

Prepare meat and mix filling

Finely chop the salame and rosa (or substitute) so they form small dice. In a mixing bowl combine chopped salame, chopped rosa, pistachios (reserve 1 tbsp for garnish), chopped coriander leaves, minced piparra, crumbled gorgonzola, Aleppo pepper, sea salt and black pepper. Stir gently to incorporate.

Incorporate whipped pecorino

Add 60 g of the whipped pecorino to the meat mixture and fold gently until the mixture is cohesive but still slightly loose. Reserve remaining whipped pecorino for plating or to pipe on top of finished olives.

Wrap olives with prosciutto

Lay a prosciutto slice flat on a cutting board. If slices are large, cut each into 4 strips roughly the width of an olive. Take one pitted Castelvetrano olive and press a small amount (about 1 tsp) of the filling into the cavity; you can use a small spoon or piping bag to fill neatly. Wrap the filled olive with a prosciutto strip, covering the seam and forming a snug parcel. Repeat with remaining olives, ensuring each is well sealed. You should get about 24 olives.

Set up breading station

Place flour and cornstarch mixed together in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a second shallow bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl. Pat each prosciutto-wrapped olive dry with paper towel so breading adheres better.

Bread the olives

Working in batches, dredge each wrapped olive first in the flour/cornstarch mixture, shaking off excess; then dip into the beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off; finally press into breadcrumbs to coat evenly. For an extra-crispy crust, repeat the egg and breadcrumb step to form a double coating.

Fry until golden

Heat oil in a deep heavy pot or deep fryer to 175°C (350°F). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small breadcrumb into oil—it should sizzle and brown within 30–45 seconds. Fry the olives in small batches (4–6 at a time) for about 2–3 minutes, turning if necessary, until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the prosciutto is cooked through. Do not overcrowd the fryer to maintain oil temperature.

Drain and rest

Using a slotted spoon, transfer fried olives to a wire rack set over a sheet pan or to paper towels to drain for 2 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with a pinch of fine sea salt while hot.

Arrange the hot fried olives on a serving platter. Spoon or pipe small dollops (about 1/2 tsp each) of the reserved whipped pecorino alongside or on top of each olive. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped pistachio and a light dusting of Aleppo pepper. Garnish with microcoriander or small coriander sprigs and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Serve immediately while hot and crisp. Recommend serving 3–4 pieces per person as an appetizer.