Ascolana olives the tradition of Marche
In Ascoli Piceno is about to start the Ascoliva Festival, we talk about it in our column about food and wine events of August. But do you know the traditional recipe to prepare Ascolana olives according to the tradition? Go on reading to discover it, but now let’s go in order.
Ascolana olives are soft DOP olives, pitted, with a soft stuffing of mixed meat, in particular beef, then breaded and fried. It is a product that comes from Ascoli Piceno, in Marche, thus follow the traditional recipe, even if it is possible to find some variants according to the place or the family.
Origins of Ascolana olives
From the ancient times, the wise men talk about green olives, as for instance a letter of Pope Sisto V in the XVI century that thanks the Elder Men of Ascoli for the gift that he received. Worth mentioning are also Rossini and Puccini, even Garibaldi, after tasting them in 1849 decided to cultivate his own olives in Caprera to produce them once left the city of Ascoli.
The research of Benedetto Marini on the origins of Ascolana olives brought him back to 1800 when the chefs that cooked for the noble families stuffed the olives to use all the different types of meat that the peasants give them as a gift.
The recipe of the Ascolana olives
The DOP recognition made of this product a certified Italian excellence, defining its uniqueness. There are thousand of recipes but we suggest you the original recipe, thanks to the help of the “Sindacato dei Ristoratori di Ascoli Piceno”.
Ingredients
1 kg of green olives
200 gr of pork meat
100 gr of chicken meat
300 gr of veal or beef
150 gr of Parmigiano Reggiano
Onion
Celery
Carrot
1 dl of white wine
4 eggs
To bread
Eggs
Breadcrumbs
Flour
EVO oil
Preparation
Prepare an Italian-style sofritto with celery, carrot and onion with olive oil to cool the meat cut into small pieces. Once the meats are brown, add white wine and simmer until it evaporates. Mix the dough in a bowl with eggs, parmigiano and nutmeg. In the meantime wash the green olives with fresh water and cut their side to stuff them with the dough. Flour, egg, breadcrumbs and fry in EVO oil.
Pay attention, they burn.
