Ingredients:
- vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 pound loose hot Italian sausage
- 1/4 pound fennel salami (cut into 1/4-inch slices)
- 20 jumbo Italian Ascoli olives (pitted)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (finely ground)
- 1 recipe basic tomato sauce (http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/basic-tomato-sauce-mario-batali) (optional)
- Sriracha (to garnish, optional )
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (freshly grated, to serve)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method:
In a Dutch oven, add 2-3 inches of vegetable oil and preheat to 360ºF. Line a plate with paper towels. In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add the cooled sausage and salami and pulse until minced. Stuff the olives with the sausage and salami mixture and set aside. Place the flour in a shallow baking dish and whisk in the cayenne. Place the eggs in a second shallow baking dish. Place the breadcrumbs in a third shallow baking dish. Season flour and breadcrumbs with salt and pepper. Dredge the olives in the flour, then dredge in the eggs and fully coat in the bread crumbs. Gently place the olives in the preheated oil and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove to the paper towel-lined plate and allow to cool slightly. To serve, dot the fried olives with a small spot of Sriracha so the olives resemble eyeballs. Alternatively, slice the olives in half, widthwise and dot them with a small dollop of tomato sauce. Tip: If you can’t find pitted olives, simply pit them by gently smashing the olive with the side of a chef’s knife and removing the pit.
