Dining and Cooking
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Muffuletta

Here is The Times’s take on a classic New Orleans sandwich, built between slices of light, airy sesame bread, and layered thick with olive salad and cold cuts. It is among the best picnic sandwiches on the planet.

Ingredients

For the olive salad:

  • 1 cup roughly chopped pitted green olives, preferably Bella di Cerignola
  • 1 cup roughly chopped pitted Kalamata olives
  • ½ cup roughly chopped peeled roasted red peppers
  • ⅓ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup celery leaves, torn
  • ¾ cup thinly sliced celery
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Pinch freshly ground black pepper

For assembly:

  • One (8 to 9 inches in diameter and 4 inches high) round loaf crusty Italian bread
  • 4 ounces soppressata, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
  • 4 ounces Italian deli ham, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces mortadella, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces sweet coppa (cured Italian pork), thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces hard salami or bresaola, thinly sliced
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

      616 calories; 41 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 29 grams protein; 79 milligrams cholesterol; 1925 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

Serves 6 to 8

Preparation

For assembly:

  1. Make the olive salad by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside to marinate.
  2. Assemble the muffuletta by slicing the loaf of bread horizontally into 2 large pieces, with the top piece 2/3 the size of the bottom piece. Hollow out the top piece by removing the soft bread inside, leaving 1/2 inch of bread near the crust. Spread half of the olive salad on the bottom piece. Begin layering the meats, starting with the soppressata and adding 1/4 of the provolone cheese between each layer of meat except for the last.
  3. Spread the remaining olive salad on the last layer of meat and top with the hollowed bread. Press down lightly and let sit at least 10 minutes. To serve, slice into 6 or 8 wedges. It will keep for several hours in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic.

30 minutes

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