Sandwiches

Muffuletta with Olive Relish

It’s hard to improve on a hoagie, that Philadelphian sandwich consisting of a crusty roll piled high with cold cuts and piqued with pickled hot peppers. Just don’t tell that to New Orleans sandwich makers who, using similar ingredients, have created a dramatically different sandwich: the muffuletta. (The name comes from muffe, Italian slang for “a mushroom,” or perhaps muffola, “mitten”—a reference to the round shape of the bread.) Start with coppa (spicy shoulder ham), sopressata (wine-cured salami), and salty prosciutto.

Add sharp provolone cheese and a tangy relish of olives, oregano, and celery. Finally, and here comes the stroke of genius, serve the sandwich hot.

Muffuletta Recipe

Muffuletta with Olive Relish

Recipe Notes

Yield: Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

2 kaiser rolls
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces (115 g) thinly sliced aged provolone cheese
2 ounces (60 g) thinly sliced coppa, smoked ham, or tasso
A few paper-thin slices of sweet onion
1/2 cup (65g) Olive Relish (see below), or more to taste
2 ounces (60g) thinly sliced prosciutto or smoked ham
2 ounces (60g) thinly sliced soppressata or Italian salami

You'll Also Need

Your basic kitchen gear including 2 pieces (each 12 by 18 inches) of parchment paper or aluminum foil and a large (10- to 12-inch) heavy skillet, plus a grill press, contact grill, or second heavy skillet

Recipe Steps

1: Slice the kaiser rolls in half through the side. Brush the outsides of the rolls with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the insides with the remainder. Place the open rolls on your work surface, cut sides up.

2: On the two bottom halves, arrange the provolone and coppa in that order. Make sure the coppa completely covers the cheese. Top each half with a piece of parchment paper.

3: On the two top halves, spread out the Olive Relish, then arrange the prosciutto and sopressata in that order on top. Top each half with a piece of parchment paper just large enough to cover the sandwich.

4: Meanwhile, heat your griddle or plancha to medium. Oil it well.

5: Carefully place the bottom sandwich,halves on the griddle, meat side down. Place the top halves meat side down, with the parchment, as well. Cook until the meat on the bottom is sizzling and browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

6: Using an offset spatula, turn the halves over. Peel off and discard the parchment paper. Assemble the halves into two sandwiches. Cook until the outside of the rolls are toasted and browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side, turning with the spatula.

7: Cut the muffulettas in half and serve at once with any extra Olive Relish on the side.

What Else: In order to cook the muffuletta through without burning the exterior, New Orleans sandwich makers divide and conquer, cooking the top and bottom half of the sandwich separately, then putting them together. Makes sense to me.

Recipe Tips

Sub recipe: Olive Relish
A generous helping of this big-flavored relish—salty with olives and capers, fiery with hot pepper, tart with vinegar—is what distinguishes the muffuletta from commonplace hoagies or submarine sandwiches. This makes more relish than you need for two muffulettas. The relish is great spooned over just about everything, from grilled swordfish to roast chicken: I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding a use for any leftovers.

1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
1/2 cup pitted black olives or kalamata olives
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tablespoon drained capers
1 pickled hot pepper (pepperoncini), coarsely chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or more to taste Freshly ground black pepper

You’ll Also Need: A Food Processor

Place the black and green olives, capers, celery, garlic, parsley, pickled hot pepper or red pepper flakes, and oregano in a food processor. Coarsely chop, running the machine in short bursts. (Do not puree.) Add the olive oil, vinegar, and black pepper, and pulse the machine just to mix. Correct the seasoning, adding more vinegar and /or black pepper to taste. In the unlikely event you have any left over, store in the refrigerator: The relish will keep for at least a week.

What’s More To make a Quick Olive Relish, combine 1 cup (160 g) drained giardiniera (Italian-style pickled vegetables), 1 cup (150 g) drained pitted black or green olives, 2 teaspoons drained capers, and 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a food processor. Coarsely chop until chunky (but not pureed). Makes 1-1/2 cups (195 g).