Description
These gigantic sandwiches were invented a century ago at Sicilian Deli here in New Orleans. The spicy, tangy olive salad is what really sets this meat and cheese sandwich apart. A genuine muffuletta should be made on oven-fresh Italian bread topped with sesame seeds. Be sure and use the highest-quality ingredients available; it really makes a difference! Since you’re going to all the trouble of making the olive salad, consider doubling the recipe so you’ll have some extra waiting around for when you get another muffuletta craving — it keeps for at least a month! Note: Use round bread loaves for real muffuletta.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, crushed
- ½ cup drained kalamata olives, crushed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup roughly chopped pickled cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 tablespoon chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon chopped carrot
- ½ cup pepperoncini, drained
- ¼ cup marinated cocktail onions
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 (1 pound) loaves Italian bread
- 8 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
- 8 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham
- 8 ounces sliced mortadella
- 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounces sliced provolone cheese
Instructions
- Make the olive salad: Roughly chop together green olives
- Kalamata olives
- pepperoncini
- cauliflower
- cocktail onions
- garlic
- capers
- celery
- and carrot. Combine with oregano
- basil
- black pepper
- and celery seed in a medium bowl. Add in olive oil
- canola oil
- and vinegar. Mix together and transfer the mixture into a glass jar (or other nonreactive container). Pour in more oil to cover if needed. Cover jar or container and refrigerate at least 8 hours to overnight.
- Make the sandwiches: Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally; hollow out some of the excess bread to make room for filling. Spread each piece of bread with equal amounts of the olive salad
- including oil. Layer bottom half of each loaf with 1/2 of the salami
- ham
- mortadella
- mozzarella
- and Provolone slices. Replace top half on each loaf and cut the sandwiches into quarters.
- Serve immediately
- or wrap tightly and refrigerate for a few hours; this will allow for the flavors to mingle and the olive salad to soak into the bread.
Prep Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 day
Servings: 8