Ascoli Piceno, Marche — olive ascolane are the celebrated product of the Ascoli Piceno province, where the Ascolana Tenera olive DOP is cultivated. The stuffed olive preparation dates from the 19th century and is documented in the aristocratic kitchen of the Ascoli nobility, where the three-meat filling reflected the wealth of the household.
Olive ascolane stuffed and baked (rather than the more famous fried version) is the traditional domestic version of the celebrated Ascoli Piceno preparation — the large, green, sweet Ascolana Tenera olive is pitted, stuffed with the classic seasoned meat filling (veal, pork, chicken, spices), crumbed, and baked in olive oil rather than deep-fried. The baked version is less dramatic than the fried but arguably more nuanced — the olive skin softens gently, the filling cooks through, and the breadcrumb exterior becomes golden without the characteristic crunch of the fried version. In Ascoli Piceno, the fried version is the festival food; the baked version is the home kitchen version.
Olive ascolane al forno from the oven are golden and fragrant — the breadcrumb crust has bronzed in the oil; the olive skin has softened and yielded its gentle bitterness. Cutting one open reveals the three-meat filling — pale, savoury, lemon-and-nutmeg-scented. The contrast between the slightly bitter olive, the mild crumb, and the seasoned meat interior is one of the most elegant three-note flavour combinations in Italian antipasto cooking.
Pit the Ascolana Tenera olives carefully (the olive must remain intact; use a cherry pitter or a fine, sharp knife circling the pit). For the filling: ground veal, ground pork, and ground chicken (equal thirds), sautéed in butter with a mirepoix, deglazed with white wine, and cooked until dry. Cool; process with grated Parmigiano, egg yolk, lemon zest, nutmeg, and breadcrumbs to a fine, firm paste. Fill each pitted olive tightly using a piping bag or a small spoon. Flour lightly; egg-wash; coat in fine breadcrumbs. Arrange in a baking dish; drizzle olive oil over. Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes until golden. Rest briefly.
Ascolana Tenera DOP olives are available from Marchigiani producers online (whole, in brine — drained before use) and from specialist Italian delis. The fried version (the festival food of the fritto misto ascolano) uses exactly the same filling and crumbing but is cooked in sunflower oil at 175°C for 2-3 minutes. For a shortcut, make the filling a day in advance and refrigerate — cold filling is easier to work with.
Overfilling the olive — the filling expands during cooking; modest filling prevents bursting. Filling too wet — the meat filling must be cooked and dried before stuffing; wet filling produces a soggy interior and the olive cracks. Not using genuine Ascolana Tenera olives — standard green olives are too bitter and too small; the Ascolana Tenera DOP olive is distinctly large, meaty, and sweet.
Slow Food Editore, Marche in Cucina; Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy