Crispy Stuffed Olives

BB's * ChicagoChef Jerry Pelikan's reasons for creating this snack are hard to argue with. "People love olives and people love sausage," he says. "And since it's an appetizer, it had to be deep-fried." The dish is so popular that BB's goes through eight gallons of olives each week. More Cocktail Party Recipes

Yield:
6 to 8

Ingredients

  • 24 colossal green or black pitted olives (71/2 ounces)

  • 6 ounces spicy Italian sausage, cut into 24 pieces

  • 30 saltine crackers

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup skim milk

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • Vegetable oil, for frying

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Cut a lengthwise slit down one side of each olive. Stuff a piece of Italian sausage into each olive.

  2. In a food processor, pulse the crackers until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Put the flour in a third shallow bowl. Dredge the olives in the flour, then roll them in the eggs and finally in the cracker crumbs, tossing to coat thoroughly.

  3. In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 325° over moderately high heat. Fry the olives, in batches, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer the olives to paper towels to drain. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

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