Muffuletta Sandwich
The muffuletta is a classic New Orleans sandwich, layered with a few different cured meats, provolone and a tangy olive and tomato relish that soaks into the crusty bread. It’s traditionally made with a two-foot wide round bread, sliced in half at the waist and filled. It is then wrapped in paper, and cut into ‘pie slices’ for serving. If you can find a bread like this, try it. If you’re only feeding a few people, you can use a smaller loaf and easily cut this recipe in half.
Muffuletta Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 large Italian or French bread loaf
- 3/4 pound sliced soppressata
- 3/4 pound sliced mortadella
- 3/4 pound sliced provolone cheese
- 3/4 pound sliced ham
- 1/2 head red leaf lettuce
- 1 red onion, slice thin
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
Sandwich relish
- 3 tomatoes, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 2 cups mixed sliced olives
- 1 cup minced celery
- 3 hot peppers (I like jalapenos), minced
- 1/2 cup minced parsley
- 1 cup minced marinated sweet cherry peppers
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Dissolve the sugar in the white vinegar and marinate the sliced red onion in it overnight. Drain and reserve.
In a large bowl, mix together all of the sandwich relish ingredients. Set aside.
Slice the bread in half. Put half of the sandwich relish on the bottom piece of bread. Layer the sliced meats, cheese, lettuce and pickled onions, then top it with the other half of the relish. Cover with the top half of the bread.
Roll sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and let sit for 2 hours, turning every 20 minutes to allow the juices to be absorbed equally in the bread halves.
Place bread on a wooden board and slice into small portions and serve.
Photograph by Madeleine Hill.
