Where are my manners? You have been a guest of CCF’s for over a year now an I have yet to introduce you to one of New Orleans’ oldest signature flavors, and a dear friend of mine if I might add, the greatest sandwich in the world, the muffuletta.
The muffuletta originated in New Orleans right around the turn of last century at a little place in the French Quarter known as Central Grocery. Over the years it has become to represent the Big Easy much in the way the Blarney Stone represents Ireland. You simply have to have a muffuletta anytime you visit the city.
But now you can easily enjoy the greatest sandwich in the world right at home, as long as you have decent bakery near by. You could make your own bread for the sandwich (quality sourdough bread is key) but then we couldn’t profess that it is easy. The olive salad recipe makes more than you will need, and this is by design. Keep the extra in the fridge and use it on salads, pizzas or just eat it on crackers. Or just keep making muffulettas like I do. Now back to the deli.
INGREDIENTS:
For the olive salad
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pitted green olives
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup pimento, minced
- 1/2 cup blanched chopped cauliflower
- 1 carrot, peeled and minced
- 1/2 stalk celery, minced
- 4 pepperoncinis, stemmed and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil
- fresh ground black pepper
For the muffuletta
- 1 round whole loaf fresh baked sourdough bread (about 8 – 10 inches in diameter)
- 8 – 10 thin slices Genoa salami
- 4 – 5 thin slices capicola or any dry-cured ham or Virginia or honey ham
- 4 – 5 thin slices Mortadella (with pistachios is nice)
- 4 – 5 thin slices Provolone cheese
- 4 – 5 thin slices Swiss cheese
PREPARATION:
For the olive salad
Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate at least over night but a week is better as everything pickles and the flavors meld. Notice there isn’t any salt added. The olives take car of the sodium. Store the unused portion in glass jars. It will keep in the fridge for about 6 months.
For the muffuletta
Cut the loaf in half cross ways to form a big sandwich bun. Spoon out some of the olive oil from the olive salad and paint the bottom half of the loaf with it. Then layer on the cold cuts and the cheeses and top with a heap of the olive salad. Let the sandwich rest for about 5 minutes so that the oil wicks into the bread a tiny bit. You can toast it in the oven for just a couple of minutes to soften the cheese if you like but don’t. Cut the thing into quarters and eat. Greatest sandwich in the world! Right?
Serves 4 with a lot of olive salad leftover
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I’m a New Orleans native. Happen to be touring Australia (KILLING me that I’m not home now to be celebrating with everyone!) right now. I have literally tried 12 different Olive Salads and Central Grocery’s is THE BEST. Buscoli’s comes second. I lived in Bermuda for 10 years so anytime I went home for a visit, I’d bring back some Central Grocery Olive Salad and Blue Plate Mayonnaise (noooooo, I didn’t put mayo on my muffaletta!). I’d also bring back 1-4 Central Grocery muffalettas! I had no problems eating that for breakfast, lunch, and supper for more than a day at a time.
I would love to be in New Orleans this weekend, muffuletta or not!
Mojito Recipe´s last blog ..Mojito
I love Central Grocery and that darn mufaletta. We stopped in for one midway through our New Orleans vacation and loved it so much I made the taxi driver stop by on the way to the airport so I could eat one before I left. Divine! I tried making one once and it just didn’t measure up, so really love having this recipe. I’ll be making this very soon! Thanks ChiliCheese
Lea Ann´s last blog ..Just Grilled, My Year On The Grill
Once you have the olive salad in the fridge you will find yourself making them frequently.
Love to try this recipe looks pretty
RT @ChiliCheeseFry: The Muffuletta Sandwich http://chilicheesefries.net/muffuletta-s...
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