How to take olives from snack to PARTY snack? Buy pre-stuffed olives, then coat them in panko, fry until deep golden brown, and serve with Calabrian chile sauce. Pre-stuffed olives—we like them with garlic or cheese—make this appetizer easier, but feel free to switch up the type of olive you use and experiment with different stuffings of your own.
4 – 6 Servings
1½–2
1
1
1
½
½
8
¼
¼
½
½
1
Mix chile paste, oil, vinegar, tomato paste, honey, and salt in a small bowl to combine. Cover and chill.
Do ahead: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Drain olives in a fine-mesh sieve, discarding any liquid. Thoroughly pat each olive dry (moisture can prevent coating from sticking or cause excess splattering during frying).
Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ cup water in a medium bowl to make the batter. Combine panko and remaining ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt in another medium bowl. Rub some of the panko between your fingers to create a finer texture.
Working with about 5 olives at a time, add to batter and turn to coat. Transfer olives to seasoned panko mixture and turn to coat completely, pressing firmly to adhere. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Pour oil into a large heavy high-sided skillet to come 1½” up sides. Heat oil over medium-high until an instant-read thermometer registers 400°. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan and returning oil to 400° after each batch, very carefully lower 10–15 olives into skillet with a slotted spoon and cook until deep golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer olives to paper towels with slotted spoon; sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool 5 minutes, then serve on a plate with sauce.
