French in a Flash: Niçoise Fried Olives Recipe
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Category
Appetizers and Hors d'Oeuvres
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Cusine
French
What do you need?
How to make?
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup ricotta cheese, room temperature
2 ounces chèvre , room temperature
The leaves from 3 stems thyme
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Perrier or seltzer water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
40 Nicoise olives, pitted
40 large green olives, pitted
Fleur de sel and lemon wedges for serving
Directions
Fill a cast iron skillet at least 1 inch deep with vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat, and bring to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix together the ricotta, chevre, thyme, and lemon zest. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Make the batter, by whisking together the flour, Perrier, baking powder, and salt. Dip the black olives in the batter, and fry in batches. They will be golden and puffed in 30 to 60 seconds. Meanwhile, fit a baggie with a pastry tip, and fill with the ricotta mixture. Pipe the green olives with just a bit of the stuffing. Then, dip them in the batter as with the black olives, and fry 60 to 90 seconds. Drain all the olives on paper towel, and sprinkle with fleur de sel or sea salt, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.