We know, we know. You typically either really love olives or well, not so much. Either way you swing, we dare you to give these Fried Olives a try. Why? Because the fried version of anything is always way better! And it’s true. The golden cornmeal goodness that’s coated around the spicy, pimiento-stuffed green olives is just so delish. Plus, we paired them with a creamy, rich blue cheese aioli that you’ll basically want to lick right out of the bowl. It’s good stuff. So, don’t let your dislike keep you from trying something new. Otherwise, you might be missing out on something as scrumpdiddlyumptious as these Fried Olives!
Ingredients
For the blue cheese aioli:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 medium cloves garlic, grated
- 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- chives, to taste, thinly sliced, for garnish
For the fried olives:
- canola oil, to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
- 1/2 cup corn flour
- 1/2 cup medium-ground cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (19-ounce) jar pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained and thoroughly patted dry
Directions
Step 1 –In the bowl of a food processor, add the mayonnaise, the sour cream, the garlic, the blue cheese, the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and process until it is smooth, about 1 minute.
Step 2 –Chill the aioli in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Step 3 –Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 4 –In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add enough of the oil so that it reaches 2-inches up the side and heat to 350 degrees F.
Step 5 –In a medium bowl, add 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour.
Step 6 –In a second medium bowl, add the buttermilk.
Step 7 –In a third medium bowl, add the corn flour, the cornmeal, the remaining salt, the remaining black pepper, the paprika, the cayenne pepper, and the remaining all-purpose flour and stir to combine.
Step 8 –Toss the olives in the bowl of the all-purpose flour, in batches, until they are well-coated.
Step 9 –Transfer the flour-coated olives to the buttermilk and toss to coat.
Step 10 –Place the buttermilk-coated olives in the cornmeal mixture and toss to coat.
Step 11 –Place the coated olives on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 12 –Fry the coated olives in the hot oil, in three batches, stirring occasionally, until they are golden-brown, about 1 minute 30 seconds per batch. Allow the oil to return to 350 degrees F in between batches.
Step 13 –Place the olives on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
Step 14 –Sprinkle the chives over the chilled aioli.
Step 15 –Serve the olives with the aioli.
