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Muffuletta

The Muffuletta is one of the greatest sandwiches ever created, yet sadly many have never heard of it. The Muffuletta is a New Orleans classic, created in 1906 by a local grocery owner named Salvatore Lupo. Lupo, an attentive man, watched as Sicilian farmers would come to his store, The Central Grocery & Deli, and order an assortment of items and eat them separately.

Lupo had the bright idea to put them all together. A Muffuletta is a sandwich made from a round loaf of bread typically about 8-10 inches across, layered with Italian salami, mortadella, cheese, and a visually appealing olive salad that gives it its distinct, briny flavor. As tradition has it, a true Muffuletta should be served cold, not hot, although you will see it both ways.

muffuletta

The Central Grocery has been making the original Muffuletta for more than a century and their special olive salad recipe is still a secret held by the third-generation owners.  Fans have tried to guess at its contents.  I have seen everything from just a mixture of olives to pickled vegetables with a few mixed olives thrown in.

I first learned about the Muffuletta in culinary school. A team I was on decided to serve it one day as a special at the school’s restaurant. It is not French, nor was it even cooked, but our chef-instructor approved it.  I’m picky with sandwiches, but it was love at first bite for me. Particularly that olive salad. I have always enjoyed briny-cured olives. And combined with fine cured meats, I thought it was a real winner. So did the restaurant diners. We sold out of Muffuletta within an hour of service. That was a first.

muffuletta

This is not a dainty sandwich. It is, by design, big and overstuffed. This is a fantastic picnic/party food perfect for the upcoming Labor Day weekend if you ask me. Making it slightly ahead is a requirement in fact, so the bread has time to soak up some of the delicious olive salad. My version is rather straightforward, but I mix it up a bit when I make my olive salad and toss in some sweet roasted peppers to balance out all the salty, briny, cured meat flavor. When I made this recently, my older son, the meat-olive eater, asked “Where has this been all my life?”  I think that says it all.

muffuletta

About the Author

Andrea Potischman

I am a professionally trained NYC chef turned CA mom and food blogger. I post about real food, with doable ingredient lists that are family friendly.

2 thoughts on "Muffuletta"

  1. Avatar photo Ed says:

    Looks like a great try. On my list to make

    1. It is a worthy one to try. Love this specialty sandwich so much!

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