Muffuletta
Muffuletta is an Italian sandwich on steroids! A classic New Orleans invention that consists of a wide and round bread, a marinated olive salad, cheese and charcuterie. Perfect to feed a crowd, this sandwich is the epitome of epic!
Ingredients
For the olive salad:
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 2/3 cup Giardiniera, Italian-style pickled vegetables
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the sandwich:
- 1 large Muffuletta bread
- 1/2 pound Genoa salami, sliced thin
- 1/2 pound ham, sliced thin
- 1/2 pound provolone cheese
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella
- 1/4 pound mortadella, sliced thin
- 1/2 pound Prosciutto di Parma, sliced thin
- 1/4 pound soppressata, hot or sweet
Instructions
Making the Olive Salad:
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and minced garlic. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Place the olives, giardiniera, shallot and oregano in your food processor. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
- Transfer the olive mixture to a bowl. Add half of the garlic oil and vinegar. Stir until throughly mixed.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. For best results, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight (or up to a week).
Assembling the Muffuletta:
- Split the bread in half and brush each cut side with the remaining garlic oil.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, and toast the bread directly in the pan until crisp and golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Place the bottom part of the bread, cut side up, on a cutting board. Spread half of the olive salad, making sure to include the juices.
- Layer all the Genoa salami, followed by all the ham. Then, layer the provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, mortadella, prosciutto and soppressata. Finish with the remaining olive salad.
- Close the sandwich and wrap it tightly - two or three times - with plastic wrap.
- Place the muffuletta top side up on a cutting board and put something heavy (like a big book or a heavy pot) on top of it, to compress it. Let it rest for 1 hour. After 1 hour, turn the sandwich upside down and continue compressing for another hour.
- Cut the sandwich into wedges and serve.
Notes
Muffuletta Bread
If you can't find muffuletta bread, there are several recipes online for you to make it yourself. If that's not an option, you could use focaccia or ciabatta instead, but the sandwich won't be round.Leftovers
Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. The olive salad will keep well for up to a week or two.Freezing
You can freeze this sandwich for up to 3 months. Wrap each wedge tightly and then place them in a freezer bag. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and then let it come to room temperature before enjoying!Nutrition
Calories: 900kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 75g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 49g, Cholesterol: 130mg, Sodium: 3007mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g