Muffuletta
I flew across the country with a loaf of bread and an olive salad in my suitcase just so I could recreate this New Orleans classic for you.
Layers of salami, ham, mortadella and cheese, paired with that iconic olive mix, and built just like they do at the iconic Central Grocery.
here’s what you’ll need
1 loaf of bread from the Central Grocery
1 jar of olive salad from the Central Grocery
6 slices of salami
6 slices of mortadella
6 slices of ham
6 slices of provolone
6 slices of mozzarella
here’s what you’ll need to do
Slice your loaf of bread horizontally, like a giant burger bun.
Good To Know: It’s unlikely you’ll find this specialty loaf in your area, but you are able to buy it directly from the Central Grocery (in store). Not going to New Orleans anytime soon? The closest alternative is probably ciabatta bread - though it never hurts to call them directly to see if they might be able to ship a loaf to you.
Before assembling, lightly toast your bread in the oven at 350 degrees for 3 to 4 minutes.
Place the bottom of your cooled bread on a sheet of parchment-lined aluminum foil.
From bottom to top, layer the meats and cheeses in this order: salami, provolone, mortadella, mozzarella, and ham.
Pro Tip: Keep your layers of meats and cheeses slightly overlapping so every bite has a bit of everything.
Spread a thick layer of olive salad on the top half of your bread, and kind of press it in so it doesn’t fall off when you flip it onto the rest of your sandwich.
CAREFULLY place the top of your sandwich onto the bottom and wrap with the foil it’s been sitting on.
Place a heavy cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich and give it a good press. Leave the skillet there for about 10 minutes so the flavors can really come together.
Unwrap from foil, cut into quarters, and enjoy!