Muffuletta

The Mighty Muffuletta
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The Mighty Muffuletta

My sisters in-law sent me two Muffulettas from Central Grocery for my birthday yhe other day. we were in the middle of a low carb week but i said F that and dove in.

New Orleans is one of the greatest food destinations in the world, I lived there for almost 2 years while working with 20th Century Fox and the muffuletta sandwich is one of the most quintessential foods in New Orleans. Although many imitations exist, there’s nothing better in my book than the original Central Grocery muffuletta recipe. Although my friend Mike a native says he prefers Napoleon House on Chartres Street better.

According to the Times-Picayune, the muffuletta was created by Salvatore Lupo in 1906:

“It was at his store, Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street, that Sicilian farmers coming from the French Market would order the main ingredients of the muffuletta and eat them separately. Lupo saw the men trying to balance the large trays of food on their laps and decided to mix all of the ingredients together in a sandwich.”

The muffuletta consists of three integral parts: the muffuletta bread, the Italian meats and cheese, and the venerable olive salad topping.

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Tex-Mex Muffaletta
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Tex-Mex Muffaletta

This is a recipe that Lyn and I found in some magazine years and years ago, although it has been a little while since I made she brought it up after I told her what my Super Bowl game day recipe was going to be. This is a good one for a help yourself party or event.

We’ve Stuffed our version of this traditional New Orleans sandwich with deli thin slice smoked chicken and Monterey Jack Cheese combined with as Lyn and I call it a the sandwich with the corn salad.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
  • 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbs. grated lime zest
  • 2 clove garlic minced
  • 1 ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 6 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 yellow, red and or green pepper diced (nice to mix colors)
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 larger tomato diced
  • 6 scallions chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
  • 1 round loaf crusty bread, 9” in diameter, 1 ¾ lbs
  • 1 Lb. deli-sliced smoked chicken breast, divided into 3 equal piles (can use turkey if you want)
  • 8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese. Shredded about 2 cups divided into 3 equal piles

How

Salad

In a bowl mix the first 9 ingredients and then whisk in oil. Add the next 5 ingredients. Set aside

Sandwich

Slice top 1/3 from the bread and set the top aside.

Pull out center leaving ½” thick shell.

Spread 1/3 of pepper mixture on bottom, top with 1/3 of chicken and 1/3 of cheese.

Repeat layers with remaining pepper mixture, chicken and cheese.

Replace bread top

Warp with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours. Server sliced in wedges

This takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare not counting the 8 hour frig time that is.

Serve with some chips and GRONKACAMOLE, Pig Skins  and Beer what else!!

How to put together

slice

QUICK TIP

Use leftover bread from this sandwich to make croutons, bread crumbs or panzanella (Italian bread salad).

Cut top third of bread off and remove all leaving 1/2" cust

Cut top third of bread off and remove all leaving 1/2″ cust

layer with 1/3 corn salad, then 1/3 turkey then cheese continue finishing with corn salad

layer with 1/3 corn salad, then 1/3 turkey then cheese continue finishing with corn salad

replace the top

replace the top

wrap with plactic wrap tightly and refrigerate 8 hours

wrap with plactic wrap tightly and refrigerate 8 hours

remove wrap

remove wrap

Slice

Slice

Serve

Serve

Layers are nice presentation

Layers are nice presentation

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Muffaletta
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Muffaletta

While working for Twentieth Century Fox I spent 2 years in New Orleans. Went from 169 to 189 lbs, learn to suck-dat-head pinch-dat-tail (crawfish) learn that “y’all” is singular just like “you guys” is in the Northeast and most especially how to slow down and enjoy.  Here is a New Orleans original – the Muffaletta – is a deliciously melodious collaboration of cured meat, provolone cheese, olive salad and sesame seeded, white fluffy bread that is the sandwich’s namesake. Thank Sicily for the round sesame bread but the ingenious sandwich is a New Orleans invention. In 1906, Central Grocery, right in the French Quarter, developed the sandwich and has been the muffaletta headquarters ever since.  This is where Lyn and I discovered it on one of our Sunday morning ritual to the French Quarter for chicory coffee and beignets, the Sunday paper and a trip to the Zoo with a picnic lunch. We tried one for our picnic and it was soon added to the ritual. People stood in line on a daily basis for the sandwich, as well as the in-house made olive salad (a pickled concoction of olive, celery, carrot, cauliflower, olive oil and Italian spices). I wonder if it is still there. Make this New Orleans original sandwich at home with Chef Emeril’s recipe. It’s a great game day sandwich.

Muffaletta

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounces pimento-stuffed olives (1 cup), sliced, plus 2 tablespoons of liquid from the jar
  • 6 ounces chopped giardiniera (pickled Italian vegetables) (1 cup), plus 1 tablespoon of liquid from the jar
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers, plus 2 teaspoons of liquid from the jar
  • 3 ounces pitted Calamata olives (1/2 cup), sliced
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Pinch of dried thyme
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large loaf seeded Italian bread (about 1 1/4 pounds), split width wise  – halfway between top and bottom
  • 1/4 pound sliced fresh mozzarella
  • 6 ounces sliced capocollo or prosciutto
  • 1/4 pound sliced Genoa salami
  • 1/4 pound sliced mortadella
  • 1/4 pound sliced mild provolone cheese
  • Pepperoncini, for serving

How:

In a medium bowl, stir the pimento-stuffed olives with the giardiniera, capers and their respective liquids. Add the Calamata olives, garlic, shallot, oregano, parsley, thyme and crushed red pepper. Stir in the olive oil and let the mixture stand for 1 hour.

Olive Salad

Open the Italian bread on a work surface. Spoon the olive salad on both sides of the bread and spread evenly. Arrange the mozzarella slices on the bottom half of the bread, then top with the capocollo, Genoa salami and mortadella. Arrange the provolone cheese on the top half of the bread, covering the olive salad completely.

Building the sandwhich