Olive ascolane

Italy’s Marche region is the current focus for food on the menu at Sartoria. When The Artful Diner caught up with head chef Lukas Pfaff, he kindly revealed an age-old recipe he’s adapted from the region. Traditionally, olive ascolane is made by elderly Italian women at home who then sell the dish at local markets.

Lukas says olive ascolane is the perfect aperitif, which you’d usually enjoy with a glass of prosecco in Italy. Although it’s quite tricky to get right, Lukas shares some key secrets: “For this dish, use big, green olives, orange skin and lots of Parmesan,” he says. “You need to make a spiral cut and open the olives as it's best to get as much meat inside as possible. Also make sure you double-bread the olives.”

Ingredients: (serves 10)

• 50 large green olives, with stones, from the Marche region
• 2 large turkey legs
• 500g veal topside
• 500g leg of pork
• 2 orange skin
• 2 large onions
• 3 carrots
• 4 celery stalks
• salt and pepper
• 300g grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 1kg breadcrumbs
• flour and egg-wash for coating

Method:

Simmer all the meats whole with the vegetables, orange skin and salt until very tender and soft. Remove meats and cover with a damp cloth in the fridge until cool. Once cool, shred meat and mix in a food processor with the Parmesan cheese, cooked vegetables and eggs. Process until it becomes a smooth paste. Season and transfer to a piping bag.

Cut the olives like a spiral to open, remove stone and fill with the stuffing. Dust in flour, egg-wash and breadcrumbs and deep-fry in oil at about 175°C until golden brown.