This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Every one has been going crazy for Boursin cheese, and If you’ve had it, you understand why. Creamy, savory, garlicky, and popular for a reason. This recipe stuffs buttery Castelvetrano olives with the ever popular creamy Boursin cheese and then encloses it with more. Each bite is then dipped in a fried shallot sesame coating, and served with a warm fig honey sauce on the side.
Table of Contents
Everything You Need to Know
Keep the cheese cold. Boursin straight from the fridge is firm enough to press around a pitted Castelvetrano and shape into a smooth ball. Once it warms up it turns sticky and holds nothing, so I work fast and keep the block cold until the last olive is wrapped. Gloves help. Chill the finished balls until they firm up again before they go near the coating.
Coat right before serving. Press each cold ball into the fried shallot and sesame so it grabs on every side. Fried shallots lose their crunch as soon as they sit against something moist, so this is the step to save for last. Coated and eaten soon after, they keep a crisp shell over the creamy center.
Serve the fig honey warm, on the side. Keep it warm and spoon a little over each olive, or dip as you go, for a jammy spoonful of fig on top.
Chef Nadia’s Tip
- Make sure the Boursin cheese is cold cheese. Using gloves also helps the cheese not stick to your hands.
Ingredient Swaps
- Castelvetrano olives: Other mild green olives work here too, but avoid anything aggressively briny or marinated or it will overpower the cheese.
- Boursin cheese: Goat cheese works, but it will be tangier and a little firmer. Let it soften slightly so it’s still easy to work with.
- Shallots: Thinly sliced red onion can be used instead, just expect a slightly sharper bite once crisped.
- Sesame seeds: Crushed nuts can be used for a crunchier, nutty coating if sesame isn’t your thing.
- Fig jam: Whatever your favorite preserve is work here, it will keep the same sweet contrast with the olive.
- Salsa macha: Chili crisp is a direct swap and keeps the heat and texture consistent.
Want to save this recipe?
Save it to your account
or email it to yourself
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The olives can be stuffed and chilled several hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. For the best texture, wait to coat them until closer to serving so the coating stays crisp.
They work especially well because they’re mild and buttery, which keeps the cheese from feeling too salty. Other green olives will work, but avoid anything heavily marinated or aggressively briny.
Not quite. Boursin is creamier and more seasoned, with garlic and herbs already built in. Plain cream cheese will change the flavor and won’t give the same result without additional seasoning.
Serve them chilled or just cool, not warm. That keeps the cheese creamy and the coating intact, and they’re easiest to eat that way.
Equipment
- disposable gloves, optional but it makes it easier
- small saucepan
- large skillet
- slotted spoon
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Cheese Stuffed Olives
- 20 to 30 Castelvetrano olives, pitted
- 10 oz Boursin Cheese, shallot and chive flavor
Fig Honey Sauce
- ⅓ cup fig jam
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp salsa macha, or chili crisp
Fried Shallots and Coating
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- olive oil, for frying
- ⅓ cup chives, finely chopped
- ½ cup toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the Olives: Stuff each olive with Boursin cheese, then use additional cheese to fully coat the outside so each olive is completely sealed. Wearing gloves helps keep the coating smooth and not stick. Place the coated olives on a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm.20 to 30 Castelvetrano olives, 10 oz Boursin Cheese
- Make the Sauce: Combine the fig preserves, honey, and salsa macha in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.⅓ cup fig jam, 3 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp salsa macha
- Fry the Shallots: Add the sliced shallots to a cold skillet and pour in olive oil till fully coated. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to low and continue frying until deeply golden and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels and let cool completely.3 shallots, olive oil
- Finish and Serve: In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled fried shallots, chopped chives, and toasted sesame seeds. Roll the cheese-coated olives in the sesame shallot mixture until evenly coated. Serve with the fig honey sauce on the side. Enjoy.⅓ cup chives, ½ cup toasted sesame seeds
Kitchen Cam
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
