Stuffed olives from ascoli

Method

1. To start the stuffing, heat the butter in a large pan. Add the two minced meats and cook for a few minutes, then add the lemon zest and nutmeg. When the meat starts to brown, add the wine, tomato purée, and salt and pepper to taste, then cook gently for 30–40 minutes. Leave to cool.
2. When the mixture is cold, add the salami and mortadella, along with the truffle (if using), parsley, Parmesan and egg, and mix well. Blend the mixture in a blender to obtain a fairly soft paste that still has a little texture.
3. With a very sharp curved knife, cut out the stone from the olive by cutting the pulp in an ellipse to leave a spiral; it should open up like a continuous strip. Take a little of the filling and put it into the centre of the olive, which you then reshape into a large olive. Do this to all the olives, using up the stuffing.
4. Put the flour in one bowl, the beaten egg in another, and the breadcrumbs in a third. Dip the stuffed olives into the flour, then into the beaten egg, and finally into the crumbs.
5. Heat some olive oil in a small saucepan until hot enough to deep-fry, and deep-fry the olives in batches until golden brown. Drain and repeat until you have fried all the olives. Serve either hot – sprinkled with lemon juice – or cold.