Fried Olives Stuffed with Blue Cheese
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.
Equipment
- Small spoon, or piping bag
- paper towels
- Medium mixing bowl
- Deep heavy pot, or deep fryer
- thermometer
- slotted spoon
- olive cocktail picks, optional
Ingredients
The Olive Dip
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz labne
- 2 tbsp olive brine
- 1 tbsp vodka
- 3 tbsp blue cheese
- 2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1 pinch kosher salt
The Stuffed Olives
- 1 jar castelvetrano olives, pitted, 8 oz
- blue cheese, for stuffing
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
The Batter and Frying
- Avocado oil, for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp MSG
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ white pepper
- 2 tbsp vodka
- ⅔ cup cold sparkling water
For Topping
- 1 lemon, zest ½, cut the other ½ into wedges
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- chives, finely chopped, to taste
- blue cheese chunks, to taste
Instructions
- 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.4 oz cream cheese, 4 oz labne, 2 tbsp olive brine, 1 tbsp vodka, 3 tbsp blue cheese, 2 tbsp chives, 2 tbsp parsley, ½ tsp white pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, 1 lemon, 1 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.1 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.1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup potato starch, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp MSG, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ½ white pepper, 2 tbsp vodka, ⅔ 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.1 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.1 lemon, fresh ground black pepper, chives, blue cheese chunks
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 908mg, Potassium: 208mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 778IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.