Muffaletta recipes?

[Kelli Kerrigan]

I'm finally deciding on what to make for my Mardi Gras party. I've heard of Muffaletta sandwiches but do not know what they are made of. Could someone advise me on these?? I did a search and nothing came up, although I could be spelling it incorrectly.

[darthchrista]

Unfortunately I am at work and don't have mags with me, obviously. I think CL did a recipe for Muffaleta last year. I recall making it and my husband and I both loved it. Muffaleta sandwhiches usually have some kind of deli meat and then a yummy olive relish. I'll try looking for the recipe tonight. Hopefully, someone else will find and post it before then though.

[Grace]

Here is one from Cuisine Magazine, Mar/Apr 1999 issue:

Muffuletta Sandwich
(serves 4)
Work time: 25 minutes
Cook time (optional): 20 minutes

For olive salad, combine:

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped
1/4 cup cauliflower, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
2 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tblsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Hollow out:

1 loaf round Italian bread (10" diameter)

Layer with olive salad and:

6 oz. provolone cheese, sliced
2 oz. capicollo, thinly sliced
2 oz. genoa salamai, thinly sliced
2 oz. ham, thinly sliced
1 tomato, sliced
Romaine lettuce

Carefuly cut the sandwich into four wedges using a serrated or electric knife, being careful not to press down to hard (the filling will squish out).

Muffulettas can be served hot or cold. To heat, wrap the uncut muffuletta in a large piece of foil. Place the wrapped sandwich on a sheet pan, and warm it in a 400º oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is meleted. Carefull remove the foil, add lettuce, and cut thet sandwich into wedges.


This magazine doesn't give nutritional information for most of it's recipes...sorry!

Hope that helps, and let us know which recipe you make and how it turns out! (I've been eyeballing this recipe for a long time).

[JanetB]

Trader Joe's actually sells a half decent Muffaletta dressing. My only complaint about it is the jar is too small!

[goldilocks]

Bon Appetit had a recipe a while back. You might have luck doing a search on www.epicurious.com. (http://www.epicurious.com.)

[Gail]

I looked and looked through my CL stuff and came up empty. So instead I'm furnishing the delicious-but-in-no-way-even-remotely-light version I make. It isn't COMPLETELY authentic, but the taste comes darned close. While I have other recipes, I happen to prefer this one, because the olive salad is the closest to what I remember drooling over from the Central Grocery in New Orleans. I can tell you that to be authentic, it must be a garlicky, messy creation, drooling with olive oil. If you have access to anything even remotely akin to the thin-crusted, light and wonderful bread used in New Orleans, I envy you!

Got a cute story about muffalettas, by the way. After indulging in the less-than-edible cuisine on our flight from LAX to New Orleans many years ago, we elected NOT to subject ourselves to it on the return flight, opting instead for a pit stop at the Central Grocery for a couple of Muffalettas we'd eat on the plane. Thus, when the flight attendants began serving, we bought a couple of white wines, unwrapped our treasures and began chowing down, filling the cabin with the heavenly aroma of garlic and meats. (No joke-- people were actually looking around, wondering where the smell was coming from.) One of the stews came down the aisle, grinned at us and said, "I take it you've had our food before..."

Enjoy! A good muffaletta is (in my opinion) one of the great wonders of the world. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

MUFFALETTA

Olive Salad (To be made the day before)

3 large garlic cloves
1 cup chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
1 cup pitted and chopped "black-ripe" olives or Calamatas
1/2 cup roasted sweet red peppers cut into chunks
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Mix all of the above and let stand overnight. Need not be refrigerated for the first night.

1 large, round, freshly baked Italian loaf
1/3 pound salami, sliced thin (Genoa or Italian wine-cured)
1/2 pound provolone, sliced thin
1/2 pound mild cheese (such as Havarti, sliced thin)
1/3 pound mortadella or prosciutto or coppa or ham, sliced

Make the salad the day before. Cut the bread in half horizontally, as you would for the sandwich. Scoop out someof the center of the loaf and drizzle olive oil fromt he salad on both halves of the bread. Use plenty! On the bottom half, place the salami, olive salad, provolone, mild cheese, and mortadella. Top with the other half of the loaf. Slice into wedges.

Serves 6

(From: The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine)

[Tiger]

I had this sandwich when I was in Disney World at the Sci-Fi resturant. It's the resturant you sit in the old time cars like you're at a drive-in. It was the best sandwich I ever had!

[ellielk]

The BEST muffulettas are from Progress Grocery in New Orleans. I don't have amounts but their ingredients are layers of:
boiled ham,
smoked Provolone cheese,
Genoa Salami,
Mortadella and
their homemade Italian Olive Salad

I looks as though the olive salad recipes that were posted will come close to the Progress Grocery flavor.