Fried Olives

Ingredients

1. 15- 20 Cerignola green olives rinsed and dried

2. 4 tbsp of ricotta cheese

3. 2 tbsp of gorgonzola blue cheese

4. 1 tbsp of lemon zest

5. Pepper to taste

6. 1 tbsp of dried thyme

7. 1 ½ cup of all purpose flour

8. 1 egg beaten

9. 2 cups of panco bread crumbs

10. Vegetable oil for frying.

Directions

1. Make an assembly line of three bowls/ trays of all purpose flour, egg, panco bread.

2. In the mean time heat oil in a non stick deep dish pan or fryer.

3. Now in a bowl add ricotta cheese and gorgonzola blue cheese. Make sure you keep this cheese in room temperature before mixing other things.

4. Add thyme and lemon zest to the cheese and mix well.

5. Now in a zip lock bag put the cheese mixture. At the end of zip lock bag cut a slight hole for filling the olives.

6. Carefully fill the olives with cheese mixture and keep on dropping into the flour tray.

7. When all the olives are done dust the olives from flour and add to the egg tray one by one with help of spoon.

8. Then at last to the panco bread crumbs. Roll them well so that bread crumbs sticks well.

9. Take the olives out and keep in tray carefully. Wait till all the olives are done.

10. Now drop at least 4-5 olives in oil, it only takes 2-3 minutes.

11. When they turn golden brown remove from oil and keep in tray covered with tissue paper.

12. Enjoy hot fried olives appetizer with ketchup.

-Chitra