A Muffuletta is a classic Italian-American sandwich with layers of cured meats, cheeses, and a tangy olive salad. The traditional version hails from New Orleans, but its roots are in Sicily. This giant version is perfect for a crowd or a party!
Ingredients:
For the Olive Salad:
- 1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 cup pickled Giardiniera (Italian mixed pickled vegetables), chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Sandwich:
- 1 large round loaf of Italian bread (about 12 inches in diameter)
- 1/2 lb sliced Genoa salami
- 1/2 lb sliced ham
- 1/2 lb sliced mortadella
- 1/2 lb sliced provolone cheese
- 1/2 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
- Optional: Sliced tomatoes, lettuce (not traditional, but great for some extra crunch and freshness)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Olive Salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the green olives, black olives, pickled Giardiniera, roasted red peppers, capers, parsley, and garlic.
- Add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together until well mixed.
- Let the olive salad marinate for at least an hour (or up to overnight in the fridge) so the flavors can meld together.
2. Assemble the Sandwich:
- Slice the loaf of bread horizontally, creating a top and bottom half.
- Hollow out a little bit of the inside of both halves of the bread, creating room for the fillings (leave about an inch of bread around the edges).
- Spread a generous amount of the olive salad mixture on the bottom half of the bread. You can go all the way to the edges, but make sure the bread doesn’t get too soggy.
- Layer the salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, and mozzarella on top of the olive salad. If you’re adding tomatoes or lettuce, layer those in as well.
3. Finish the Sandwich:
- Close the sandwich with the top half of the bread.
- If you want to compress the sandwich for easier cutting and better flavor infusion, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it sit for at least 30 minutes (or even a few hours).
- If you prefer, you can also press the sandwich lightly with a heavy pan or a weight for a few minutes.
4. Serve:
- Slice the Muffuletta into wedges and serve. Enjoy the savory, tangy, and salty layers!
Tips:
- The olive salad is key to the flavor of a Muffuletta, so don’t skip it!
- You can adjust the meats and cheeses according to your preference—salami, prosciutto, and other Italian cured meats work well too.
- If you can find sesame seed-crusted Italian bread, it adds a bit of crunch and authenticity, but any sturdy round loaf will do.
Enjoy your giant Muffuletta sandwich! Let me know how it turns out!
