Name: Woodcut’s crusted giant green olives with ’nduja
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 16 large green Spanish olives, pitted, brine reserved (we used Gordal); 60 gm ’nduja (see note); 50 gm (1/3 cup) plain flour; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 50 gm Panko crumbs; 50 gm hemp seeds; Vegetable oil, for deep-frying; Fennel pollen (see note), for dusting; Fried flat-leaf parsley and lemon wedges, to serve; ’Nduja oil dressing; 80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil; 1 golden shallot, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 60 gm finely chopped fennel; 100 gm ’nduja; 50 ml olive brine; 30 ml lemon juice

“These fried olives are a treat you can prepare well in advance of your guests arriving and fry last minute,” says chef Ross Lusted. “The recipe calls for ’nduja but I also like to fill them with Galotyri, a soft and creamy Greek shepherd’s cheese.”

Ingredients

16 large green Spanish olives, pitted, brine reserved (we used Gordal)

60 gm ’nduja (see note)

50 gm (1/3 cup) plain flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

50 gm Panko crumbs

50 gm hemp seeds

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Fennel pollen (see note), for dusting

Fried flat-leaf parsley and lemon wedges, to serve

’Nduja oil dressing

80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

1 golden shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

60 gm finely chopped fennel

100 gm ’nduja

50 ml olive brine

30 ml lemon juice

Method

Pat olives dry on paper towel, then using a chopstick, fill cavity of each olive with ’nduja. Place flour, egg, combined breadcrumbs and hemp seeds in three separate shallow bowls. Dust stuffed olives in flour, then roll in egg, allowing excess to drip off then coat in crumb mixture. Place on tray and refrigerate to set (30 minutes).

Meanwhile, for ’nduja oil dressing, place oil in a saucepan over low heat; add shallot, garlic and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (3 minutes). Add ’nduja and stir until fragrant and broken down to a grainy texture (6 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in brine and juice. Keep warm.

Fill a large saucepan one-third with vegetable oil and heat to 175˚C. Deep-fry olives, in batches, until golden (1-2 minutes); drain on paper towel and dust with fennel pollen.

Serve olives with the ’nduja oil dressing, scattered with fried parsley and lemon wedges.

This recipe also calls for setting (see method).

’Nduja is a spicy spreadable salami from Calabria available from select delicatessens and specialty food stores. If fresh fennel pollen is unavailable, substitute dried fennel pollen, available from Herbie’s Spices.
Note

Ross Lusted

Photography by James Moffatt Photographer

Styling by Lucy Busuttil Stylist and Recipe Developer

Lucy Busuttil is an experienced food stylist and editor who has worked with leading print and broadcast brands in the food media industry in Australia for over 15 years. She also has a strong foundation as a leading chef for Michelin-starred restaurants in UK, US, France and Australia. After working as a chef for 15 years for some of the world's top restaurants, Lucy transitioned into the food media. Her vast experience and understanding of food make her styling and recipe writing uniquely accessible to her clients and their target audiences. Lucy is currently based in Sydney and works as a freelance food stylist and recipe writer, focusing on editorial, digital, and advertising content for luxury lifestyle brands. She curates beautiful editorial videos on food and drink and styles for editorial-leading food brands such as Gourmet Traveller and Delicious, as well as advertising and promotional content for some of the most renowned names in cuisine in the country.

Linkedin Instagram

Ingredients

Method

Related stories