• 4 dozen large black Cerignola olives or other mild black olive
• 48 small Parmesan chunks
• 1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 3 large egg whites, beaten
• 1 quart cold pressed olive oil for frying

1. Slit the olives lengthwise and remove the pit. Replace the pit with a chunk of Parmesan and squeeze the olive around it.

2. Season the bread crumbs with salt and pepper and place them in a pie pan or a shallow bowl.

3. Place the flour and the egg whites each in their own pie pan or shallow bowl.

4. Heat the oil in a large pot. The oil should rise no further than halfway up the side up the pot to prevent the oil from boiling over after the olives are added. Prepare a cake rack placed over a sheet pan to receive the fried olives.

5. Roll the olives in the flour. Shake off the excess flour and then roll them in the egg whites and then the bread crumbs to coat well. Place the olives on a plate coated with breadcrumbs to keep them from sticking until you are ready to fry them.

6. Fry 8 to 10 olives at a time. Do not crowd them or they will stick together. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on the prepared rack. Cool the olives slightly then pile them on a tray to serve.

Serve warm.

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