Fried olives stuffed with chorizo

Ingredients:

• 60 large green Sicilian olives, pitted
• 55 g dry-cured Spanish chorizo, finely diced
• 1/4 cup smoked almonds
• 110 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 0.5 cups premium flour
• 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, pulse the almonds and chorizo ​​until very finely ground. Add the cream cheese, season with salt, and mix well. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag or zip-lock bag, snip off the corner, and stuff each olive with as much filling as possible.
2. Pour 5 cm of vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pan and heat to 175°C.
3. Place three bowls side by side. Place flour and cayenne pepper in one, beat an egg in another, and place breadcrumbs in the last. Dredge each olive in flour until completely coated, shaking off any excess; then dip in egg to coat; and finally, roll in breadcrumbs.
4. Carefully drop the olives, about 10 at a time, into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and sprinkle with salt. Fry the remaining olives in the same manner. Serve warm.