Ingredients
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2 cKalamata Olives, pitted
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½ cFlour
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2 ea.Eggs, large, beaten
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3 cPanko Breadcrumbs, fine
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Canola oil for frying, as needed
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Labneh, recipe follows
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Harissa oil, recipe follows
Preparation
Toss the olives in flour and shake off excess. Dip the olives in the eggs, then into breadcrumbs. Shake off excess and put olives back into the egg mixture and coat in breadcrumbs one last time. Place inside an airtight container until ready to use.
Fry in oil heated to 375°F a handful at a time until golden brown, about one minute. Drain.
Spread a dollop of labneh on the bottom of a shallow serving bowl, add olives and pour the harissa oil around them.
To make labneh: Combine 4 cups plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and drain in a large-mesh sieve lined with 3 layers of cheesecloth overnight, refrigerated. Add za'atar seasoning and olive oil to taste.
To make harissa oil: Combine 10 garlic cloves with 1 large roasted red bell pepper (peeled, cored, and seeded) in a food processor to make paste. Pulse until the mixture is almost puréed. Add ½ cup ground cumin, 1/3 cup cayenne, 1/3 cup paprika, ¼ cup of caraway seeds, and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Slowly drizzle ¼ cup canola oil while the machine is running to emulsify. Combine ¾ cup harissa paste with 1 cup of canola oil in a saucepan, bring to a very low simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Cool and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth.
Chef/Owner Einat Admony | Balaboosta, New York City