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Pressed Muffuletta
Andre Lewis

Pressed Muffuletta

The New Orleans muffuletta is built around olive salad as much as cured meat. Mortadella, salami, capicola and two cheeses go onto a round sesame loaf, then the sandwich rests under weight so the briny oil reaches the crumb. Don't heat it into a generic Italian panini.
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Prep Time 55 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 round 10-inch sesame Italian loaf
  • 3/4 cup chopped green olives
  • 1/3 cup chopped black olives
  • 1/3 cup chopped pickled giardiniera drained
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 oz thinly sliced mortadella
  • 4 oz thinly sliced Genoa salami
  • 4 oz thinly sliced capicola
  • 4 oz sliced provolone
  • 4 oz sliced low-moisture mozzarella

Method
 

  1. Stir the green olives, black olives, giardiniera, vinegar, olive oil and oregano together and let the olive salad stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Slice the loaf horizontally and pull only a thin layer of soft crumb from the top half so the filling has room.
  3. Spread half the olive salad over the bottom, carrying the oily dressing all the way to the edge.
  4. Layer the mortadella, salami, capicola, provolone and mozzarella evenly, folding the slices instead of stacking them into one dense block.
  5. Spread the remaining olive salad under the top half and close the loaf.
  6. Wrap the sandwich tightly in parchment, set a skillet on top and press it for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  7. Unwrap the loaf and cut it into 6 wedges, keeping the layered filling inside each piece.