Half a Muff isn’t what you think
New Orleans is swimming in culture. From Faulkner and Anne Rice to the darker side of voo-doo and occult, history and lore is everywhere.
Food is well included in the lore and mythology of the city.
The Muffuletta sandwich has a rich history. Where it was invented, Central Grocery, is mostly accepted. Who makes the best, well, that’s met with passion. As it should be. Passion about food is a good thing.
The hows and whys are also discussed. The version I like-which may benefit from over 100 years of elaboration-is a wire worker, coming in to Central Grocery for lunch, put the antipasta plate inside a piece of bread so he could use at least one hand on the job.
Is it true? I have no idea, but I like the functionality of the idea. Necessity is the mother of invention, so they say.
That bread, though
The loaf of bread was baked by Leidenheimer. As far as I can determine, they still bake bread, and specifically, that round loaf of the Muff fame.
It’s the olives
As passions go, they are fiercely loyal. Fans of the olive salad on the sandwich are determined that that is the single reason the sandwich is so good.
I admit, it is a feature, and the salad is worth eating all alone.
The meats make it
Find two people and ask a sandwich question and you’ll get three answers. The meats and cheeses matter, of course. Today, however, not all the ingredients one would find in a good Italian salumeria are available. What is a person to do? Make due with what you have. Using what you have is, in my view, the most Italian thing to do.
Put it all together
I prefer salami, ham, mortadella with Swiss and Provolone.
However, it’s your sandwich so add what you want.
The olive salad can be chunky or a bit more of a paste. I prefer more paste than chunks, myself, but see above.
One tip which really does make a difference is this: make the sandwich the night before. Get it assembled and extra olive salad juice on the bread. Wrap it in plastic wrap then in the cooler. Place a plate on top of the sandwich and a small can of something, evaporated milk. Something to press it just a bit. Press, not squish.
The flavor development is worth it. You can eat it cold or place it in a 300° F oven for 10 minutes or so to get the meat warm and the cheese melty. So good.
Olive Salad for Muffuletta
I love this olive mix. It is very accommodating so add or subtract as you wish. The flavor will improve after it sits a day and is great just as a dip with crackers or bread or, well, right from the jar.
Ingredients
The ingredients
- 1 C Picholine olives
- 1 C Kalamata olives
- 1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 T Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/3 C Fresh chopped Italian parsley
- 2 t Fresh chopped oregano or marjoram
- 2 cloves Chopped garlic
- 1 each Roasted, peeled red bell pepper
- 2 T Chopped capers rinsed
- as needed Salt and pepper
Instructions
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Chop the olives-watch for pits.
Dice the red bell pepper into small pieces.
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Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Store in resealable glass jar in the cooler.
Recipe Notes
The important part for the olive salad is color and flavor. If you can't get or don't like these specific olives, that's okay. Use what you do like. You don't even have to use both colors.
If you prefer a zippy salad, add some red pepper flakes or other heat. Add small diced red onions or rosemary. Make it so you love it.
If you can find salt packed capers, get them. Here's a link. I say there is not comparison and they are so worth it.
Muffuletta bread
This is similar to the famous bread from Leidenheimer bakery in NOLA. They make theirs pretty squat, maybe 2 inches flat. Since it will be sliced and filled and pressed, that makes such things easier.
Ingredients
The ingredients
- 227 g Room temperature water
- 3 C Bread flour
- 5 g Instant yeast
- 1 T Sugar
- 7 g Salt
- 28 g Unsalted butter, diced
- As needed Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Mix and bake the bread
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Place all the dry ingredients and butter into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Start the machine on low speed, using the dough hook, and add the water to the bowl’s contents.
Mix on low speed for 4 minutes.
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Mix on medium for an additional 4 minutes.
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Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Roll the dough on the counter to shape into a round, place in a buttered glass or metal bowl. Place the dough seem side up. Move the dough ball to coat with butter and turn the bough over, placing seam side down, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest 30 minutes.
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Lift dough from the bowl and gently pull the dough apart a few inches, bring the ends together. Turn the dough 45 degrees and repeat the pull and return process again. Repeat the turn and pull and return 2 more times, stretching and returning a total of 4 times. Shape the dough into a round and replace into the buttered bowl for an additional 30 minutes.
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Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Shape the dough into a round, place on a prepared sheet pan (parchment paper or silicone baking sheet lined) and brush the loaf with milk then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Allow the dough to stand 10 minutes to allow the milk to evaporate then lay plastic wrap on top until the loaf has doubled in size.
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Place in the oven, reduce the temperature to 375° F and bake 25 minutes or until the loaf is baked.
Allow to cool completely before slicing.
