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.

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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.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Muffuletta, Olive salad, Olives, Tapenade

Prep Time 15 minutes

Author Dann Reid

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

1. Chop the olives-watch for pits.
   

   Dice the red bell pepper into small pieces.
   

2. 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.