Fried Olive Salad Food

CITRUS SALAD WITH FRIED ROSEMARY AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Pour vegetable oil into a small heavy saucepan to a depth of 1". Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged; heat oil over medium heat to 350°F. Add four 3" rosemary sprigs to oil and fry until crisp and bright green, 10-15 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; season lightly with kosher salt. Add 10 pitted oil-cured black olives to oil; fry until bubbling stops, about 4 minutes. Place on plate with rosemary. Strip rosemary leaves from sprigs; mince. Chop olives. Using a small, sharp knife, cut peel and white pith from 6 blood oranges and 6 Cara Cara oranges. Cut crosswise into 1/2" rounds; arrange on a platter. DO AHEAD: Oranges, rosemary, and olives can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill orange slices. Separately store rosemary and olives airtight at room temperature.
• Season oranges lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper; drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle chopped rosemary and olives over oranges.

BLACK EYED-PEA SALAD WITH FRIED KALAMATA OLIVES AND PARSNIP

Steps:

• The night before, pick over the peas and discard any stones. Place in a large pot or bowl, cover with water and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse.
• Combine the peas, bay leaf, cumin and 3 cups water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. If the water gets low, add more to just cover the peas. Strain the peas and remove the bay leaf.
• Combine the cooked peas and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Let stand while you fry the olives.
• Heat the oil in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the olives and cook until fragrant and the outsides blister, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the olives and oil over the peas. Add the parsley, parsnip, green onions and lemon juice and toss to combine. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

FRIED OLIVES

Steps:

• Mix the sausage with 2 tablespoons parmesan and the parsley in a bowl.
• Cut open the olives (do not fully cut in half). Stuff with the sausage mixture and press closed (it's OK if the olives don't close completely).
• Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan. Dredge the olives in the flour, dip in the beaten eggs, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
• Working in batches, deep-fry the olives in 350˚ vegetable oil until golden, 4 minutes; drain on paper towels.

FRIED OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat canola oil to 350 degrees F. (Drop a very small piece of bread crumb into the oil if it starts to sizzle the oil is hot enough.)
• Drain the olives.
• Mix flour, garlic powder and chili powder together and place in a shallow dish. Pour eggs into another dish, and bread crumbs with ground black pepper into a third.
• Roll the olives in the flour, then roll them in the beaten egg and finally roll them in the bread crumbs. Set on a plate to give the breading a chance to dry and form a crust while the oil heats.
• When oil is hot, put half the olives into it, being careful not to drop them and splatter hot oil. Fry until golden brown, then remove and drain on paper towels. Be sure to tip the oil out of the center of the olive. Serve on a platter with Manchego cheese cubes and slices of serrano ham.

FRIED OLIVES

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer. Place over medium heat and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Set up a dredging station by placing the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Working in batches, drop the olives into the flour and roll until evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour and place the olives into the egg. Coat the olives in the egg and lift out, allowing any excess egg to drip off. Roll the olives in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Set aside a baking sheet.
• Once the oil is hot, carefully add the basil leaves and lemon peels, being aware that the oil may pop. Fry just until crispy, about 30 seconds. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Working in batches, fry the olives until the breadcrumbs are crunchy and the cheese is soft, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly.
• Put the olives on a serving platter and crumble the fried basil and lemon zest over top. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper.

FETA OLIVE SALAD

Steps:

• Place the feta in a large shallow bowl, add the onion, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, cherry tomatoes, if using, green olives, and black olives. Toss lightly but thoroughly. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and toss again. Add the fresh herbs, toss, and add several turns of black pepper. Arrange the lettuce leaves on 1 large or several individual plates and spoon the feta salad on top. Serve immediately.

FRIED OLIVES

Steps:

• If using unpitted olives, pit them with an olive pitter (or cherry pitter) to keep them intact.
• Place the onion, garlic, ham, parsley, olive oil and cayenne in a food processor and pulse on and off until everything is pureed and very creamy and smooth.
• Remove to a bowl.
• Using a pastry bag outfitted with a nozzle small enough to fit into the cavity opening of the olive, stuff each olive with the filling.
• Spread the flour onto one plate and the breadcrumbs onto another.
• Heat about half an inch of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Roll the olives in the flour, then in the egg, and finally into the breadcrumbs.
• Fry until the breadcrumbs have turned golden.
• Remove, place on paper towels to drain momentarily and serve.

FRIED OLIVES

Steps:

• Soak olives in cold water for 15 minutes to reduce brininess. Drain, and pat dry. Stuff each with blue cheese.
• Put flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in 3 bowls. Dredge olives in flour, dip in egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Refrigerate until ready to fry.
• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, fry olives until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Serve warm.