Interesting: Mufaletta

I'd never been in a sex shop before. It was… interesting. The fur-covered handcuffs were interesting. The leather collars were interesting. The costumes were interesting, And the, well… It was all, uhmm, interesting. According to Susanne and Judith, who had insisted that Michael and I accompany them into the store, we men were blushing like adolescents caught with a Playboy. The ladies, on the other hand, were merely fascinated.

It was about 11:00 o'clock on a bright, clear October morning -- neither cold nor warm. The streets were wet from rain the night before, and still strewn with trash. Halloween was coming up and although that holiday isn't quite the bacchanalia of Mardi Gras, New Orleans still takes it seriously (in a manner of speaking). We were wandering the streets of the French quarter on our way to Jackson Square. The four of us had a culinary goal and it wasn't the Café Du Monde and beignets.

On this morning we had our sights set on the Central Street Grocery and muffalettas. This is an extraordinary sandwich that, while not as famous outside of New Orleans as the po' boy, holds a place of honor within the city. Surprisingly, the muffaletta's origins are Italian, Sicilian specifically. According to gumbopages.com, "the muffuletta sandwich was invented by Signor Lupo Salvadore, who opened the now-famous little Italian market called Central Grocery on Decatur Street in the French Quarter in 1906 and created the muffuletta sandwich, named for a favored customer…"

The sandwich is distinguished by the generous use of an olive salad and is served on round loaf of bread. It's delicious, different, interesting.

Muffaletta

1 loaf bread (see below)
1 c olive mix (see below)
1/4 lb sliced ham
1/4 lb sliced mortadella
1/4 lb sliced Genoa salami
1/4 lb sliced provolone
1/4 lb sliced mozzarella

Cut bread in half horizontally. Spread half with olive mix then layer on meats and cheeses. Cover with top. (Note: Ideally the sandwich should be made an hour or more in advance and then tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to enable juices to soak bread.) Slice into quarters and serve.

Olive Mix

1 1/2 c pimento-stuffed olives
1/2 c pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 c giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables)
1/4 c pepperoncini
1/4 c pickled onions
1 tbsp capers
1 clove garlic, large – minced
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil

Drain all ingredients. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Refrigerate overnight.

Mixture will keep for several months sealed in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Muffaletta Bread
(adapted from CD Kitchen)

4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c water
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp rapid-rise yeast

Using the dough hook, combine 4 cups flour, water, salt, sugar, olive oil, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer -- scraping down sides as needed -- at low speed until blended. Add additional flour if needed, but dough should be a bit sticky. Increase speed to medium and knead for eight minutes.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and form into a ball.

Clean and dry mixing bowl and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, seam-side down, and spray top lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the floured board and knead for 2 minutes. Divide in two, and form into balls. Let dough rest for 15 minutes then flatten out into discs 7 - 8 inches in diameter. Place each disc on a baking sheet, dock with a fork, and cover with plastic sprayed with oil. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Bake each loaf for 20 to 25 minutes until well-browned. Cool completely before slicing.

Kevin Weeks is also a Gather food correspondent (Paisano), personal chef, cooking teacher, and writer in Knoxville, Tennessee who spends too many hours on his feet, cooking. "Paisano" is a column focused on peasant dishes from around the world. To read more of Kevin's writings or connect to him click here. His blog, Seriously Good, is read by 50,000 cooks a month.