Fried Olives Stuffed with Blue Cheese
Serves 6
35 mins prep
10 mins cook
20 mins Chill
65 mins total
Fried olives stuffed with blue cheese are coated in a light batter and fried until crisp, then served hot with a creamy olive dip. The briny olives, warm cheese, and crunchy coating come together in a savory appetizer.
The Olive Dip
The Stuffed Olives
The Batter and Frying
For Topping
Make the Olive Dip: Add the cream cheese, labne, olive brine, vodka, blue cheese, chives, parsley, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon zest, and salt to a food processor. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up.
oz cream cheese
oz labne
tbsp olive brine
tbsp vodka
tbsp blue cheese
tbsp chives
tbsp parsley
tsp white pepper
tsp garlic powder
tsp onion powder
lemon
pinch kosher salt
Stuff and Chill the Olives: Stuff each olive generously with blue cheese. Pat the olives very dry with paper towels, then place them on a paper towel lined plate and freeze for 10 to 12 minutes.
jar castelvetrano olives
blue cheese
Heat the Oil: Heat avocado oil in a deep pot or fryer to 350°F (175°C).
Avocado oil
Make the Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, MSG, white pepper and salt. Add the vodka and sparkling water and mix just until combined. The batter should be thick enough to coat but still fluid. If needed, add additional sparkling water in ½ tbsp increments.
cup all-purpose flour
cup potato starch
tsp garlic powder
tsp onion powder
tsp smoked paprika
tsp MSG
tsp kosher salt
white pepper
tbsp vodka
cup cold sparkling water
Fry the Olives: Lightly dust the chilled olives with 1 tsp flour. Dip each olive into the batter, letting excess drip off, then carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
tsp all-purpose flour
Finish and Serve: Skewer your fried olives and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper, chives, and lemon zest. Add some blue cheese chunks to the top of the chilled olive dip and serve with a few lemon wedges on the side.
lemon
fresh ground black pepper
chives
blue cheese chunks
