Deep-fried olives stuffed with ricotta and Guindilla chilli

Stuffed with fiery ricotta, rolled in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden, these moreish bites are the perfect bite-sized party treat. Serve with beer and lemon wedges

Ingredients

• 90g ricotta
• 1 lemon, zested then cut into wedges to serve
• small handful of oregano, leaves picked and chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 3 pickled Guindilla chillies, finely chopped, plus 1⁄2 tsp of the brine
• 1 egg, beaten
• 50g plain flour
• 50g panko breadcrumbs
• 300g (drained weight) Gordal olives, pitted, drained and dried on kitchen paper
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Directions

• STEP 1

  Start by making the olive filling. Mix the ricotta, lemon zest, oregano and chopped chillies together. Season, then put in a piping bag or squeezy bottle.

• STEP 2

  Prepare to breadcrumb the olives by putting the eggs, flour and breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls. Snip the end from the piping bag and pipe the ricotta mixture into the olives, so it just begins to peep out of the top.

• STEP 3

  Coat the filled olives in flour, egg and panko, tossing them so they are well coated, especially the hole, before setting them on a tray lined with baking paper.

• STEP 4

  Heat the oil in a deep pan until it reaches 180C or a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Carefully lower 5-6 coated olives into the oil and cook for 3-4 mins, gently turning so they brown on all sides, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack and continue cooking the rest.

• STEP 5

  Arrange the olives in a bowl, scatter with extra oregano and serve with lemon wedges and a cold beer.