THE MUFFULETTA SANDWICH

THE MUFFULETTA SANDWICH image

Yield 4 sandwiches

Number Of Ingredients 21

For the olive salad
■1 1/2 cups chopped pitted green olives
■1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
■1/4 cup pimento, minced
■1/2 cup blanched chopped cauliflower
■1 carrot, peeled and minced
■1/2 stalk celery, minced
■4 pepperoncinis, stemmed and minced
■4 cloves garlic, minced
■1 tablespoon dried oregano
■1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
■1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
■1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
■fresh ground black pepper
For the muffuletta
■1 round whole loaf fresh baked sourdough bread (about 8 - 10 inches in diameter)
■8 - 10 thin slices Genoa salami
■4 - 5 thin slices capicola or any dry-cured ham or Virginia or honey ham
■4 - 5 thin slices Mortadella (with pistachios is nice)
■4 - 5 thin slices Provolone cheese
■4 - 5 thin slices Swiss cheese

Steps:

For the olive salad Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate at least over night but a week is better as everything pickles and the flavors meld. Notice there isn't any salt added. The olives take car of the sodium. Store the unused portion in glass jars. It will keep in the fridge for about 6 months. For the muffuletta Cut the loaf in half cross ways to form a big sandwich bun. Spoon out some of the olive oil from the olive salad and paint the bottom half of the loaf with it. Then layer on the cold cuts and the cheeses and top with a heap of the olive salad. Let the sandwich rest for about 5 minutes so that the oil wicks into the bread a tiny bit. You can toast it in the oven for just a couple of minutes to soften the cheese if you like but don't. Cut the thing into quarters and eat. Greatest sandwich in the world! Right?