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ByAmanda CarlisleUpdated on
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Just like you would get in New Orleans. Try this Incredible, Authentic Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe. Plus, read all of the tips to make the perfect sandwich!
Making the perfect sandwich is a skill no matter what anyone says. Finding just the right combination of condiments, meats, cheese, and bread to make your taste buds dance is a talent that creates joy for the person eating it. This Authentic Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe has just the right combination of everything you need to make a fantastic sandwich and has the power to transport you to the streets of New Orleans with a flavor pallet that is one of a kind.
What is a Muffuletta Sandwich?
This sandwich was initially created at the Central Grocery in New Orleans when the enterprising owner suggested that customers place their typical lunch of sliced cured meat and preserved vegetables inside the bread instead of alongside it. Now, this sandwich can now be found all over the city of New Orleans and throughout sandwich shops in the US.
Local bakeries to New Orleans are the only place you are going to find TRUE Muffuletta bread, but for those of us around the country, we have to make do with other delicious breads for this sandwich. Your best bet is looking for a wide, round loaf of ciabatta or Italian bread. Added bonus if you can find one covered in sesame seeds.
Where to Find Olive Salad?
You can find Olive Salad in some delis, but why not make your own? This Simple Olive Salad recipe is perfect for these yummy sandwiches are more. Snag the recipe here.
Tips
Prep Ahead
Muffuletta Sandwiches are one of those foods that gets better as it sits. This fact makes it the perfect party food! Make a few sandwiches, wrap them up, and slice them open as needed. Late-arriving guests will enjoy the best bites. Great for prepping things ahead for a party too!
Mortadella?
Mortadella is not easy to find in typical grocery stores. A cured pork embedded with pieces of fat, the closest substitute is common bologna. But don’t be skeptical. It tastes fantastic in this combination.
Stack it right
Also, it is easier to make this sandwich if you stack everything on one side EXCEPT for the final layer of meat. Place the salami on the opposite side to help hold the olive salad in place as you invert the sandwich half onto the other side.
The right tool for the job
This sandwich is easier to slice with a serrated bread knife. To prepare this for a picnic or potluck, slice into portions and rewrap each part in plastic wrap.
Muffuletta Sandwich
Just like you would get in New Orleans. Try this Incredible, Authentic Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe. Plus, read all of the tips to make the perfect sandwich!
110 to 12 inch loaf round bread topped with sesame seedssliced in half horizontally
2tablespoonsolive oil
1cupolive salad
12 to 24slicesblack forest ham
12slicesprovolone cheese
12 to 24slicesmortadella or bologna
12slicesmozzarella
12 to 24slicessalami
Instructions
Open bread on a large surface like a cutting board. Remove some of the inner bread to create room for the stack of meats and cheeses.
Brush the open sides on each half of bread with olive oil. Spread olive salad over the olive oil on both pieces of bread.
On the bottom half of the sandwich, begin layering the ham, provolone, mortadella or bologna, and mozzarella.
On the opposite (tohalf of the sandwich, place the salami over the olive salad. Using the salami to help hold the olive salad in place, invert the top and place on the bottom.
Press the sandwich down and secure with plastic wrap. Remove plastic wrap before serving.
The sandwich can be stored overnight (covered with plastic wrap needed or sliced and served immediately.
Notes
Mortadella is not easy to find in common grocery stores. A cured pork embedded with pieces of fat, the closest substitute is common bologna. But don’t be skeptical. It tastes amazing in this combination.
Also, it is easier to make this sandwich if you stack everything on one side EXCEPT for the final layer of meat. Place the salami on the opposite side to help hold the olive salad in place as you invert the sandwich half onto the other side.
This sandwich is easier to slice with a serrated bread knife. To prepare this for a picnic or potluck, slice into portions and rewrap each part in plastic wrap.
Author: Amanda Carlisle
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The traditional-style muffuletta sandwich consists of a muffuletta loaf split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated muffuletta-style olive salad, salami, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, and mortadella. Quarter, half, and full-sized muffulettas are sold.
Layer half of soppressata on bottom half of bun, followed by half of mortadella, half of capicola, and half of provolone. Repeat layers with remaining meat and cheese. Close sandwiches and press down gently to compress. For best flavor, wrap tightly in paper or plastic and let rest for 1 hour before serving.
ORIGINS. The muffuletta (or muffoletta, moffoletta, muffoletto, muffulietta, depending on the dialect) derives its name from Sicilian dialect that means 'soft and spongy bread'. This soft round bun is so versatile and many locals use it as a sandwich to fill with local hams and cheeses.
Who invented the muffaletta? Sicilians have been moving to New Orleans since the 1800s, and bringing flavorful Italian dishes with them. One sicilian in particular, Lupo Salvadore, opened Central Grocery in 1906 in the French Quarter, and with it, introduced the muffaletta.
This legendary sandwich was invented at one of the city's oldest markets, the Central Grocery. Sicilian immigrants working at the nearby farmer's market would buy salami, ham, cheese, olive salad and Muffuletta bread (a soft round loaf that the sandwich takes its name from) and eat them separately.
Is a Muffuletta Served Hot or Cold? Throughout New Orleans, you'll find muffulettas served either warm or cold, depending on the restaurant. The most famous spot for a muffuletta — Central Grocery — serves cold-style muffulettas to highlight the Italian cold cuts, while others, like Napoleon House, serve it warm.
The muffuletta is one of New Orleans' most iconic and quintessential eats. Traditionally, the colossal sandwich is stacked with Italian cured meats, cheeses, and the signature marinated olive salad, all stuffed inside a round seed–studded loaf.
In 1971, Don and Dolores Dissman founded the company in a "small, hole-in-the-wall shop" in Austin, Texas, on South Congress. The initial menu consisted of one sandwich, called "The Original," consisting of mixed meats, cheeses and black olives on a freshly made, toasted bun." It was based on the muffuletta sandwich.
The sandwiches arrive ready-to-eat in temperature-controlled boxes. Upon arrival, place them in the fridge. We recommend serving them within 3 days. Muffulettas can be stored in the freezer for up to 60 days in their original packaging.
Muffaletta is a chopped, relish-like condiment featuring many olives and crisp pickled vegetables. Its texture is more like a bruschetta or tapenade. Giardiniera, on the other hand, is a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots, bell peppers and celery, which may or may not include olives.
This culinary gem rivals even the best muffaletta. Gourmands hail the po'boy, a homegrown Louisiana staple. From gas stations to gourmet eateries, this famous sandwich can be found just about anywhere down South — but nowhere better than in Louisiana, its home state.
Located on Decatur Street in the middle of New Orleans' French Quarter, we're a third generation, old-fashioned grocery store founded in 1906 by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant who is famous for creating the muffuletta.
A muffuletta is one of the three iconic sandwiches in New Orleans, a proud trio that also includes po' boys, of course, and the Vietnamese version, the banh mi. Like most traditional bites, a muffuletta isn't just a sandwich, it's a history lesson.
In 1762, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich®, invented the meal that changed dining forever. As the story goes, he was playing cards and did not want to leave the gaming table to eat. He asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of bread so he could eat with his hands.
Introduction: My name is Kelle Weber, I am a magnificent, enchanting, fair, joyous, light, determined, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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