A Big Dumb Muffuletta

I used to say that a great sandwich starts with great bread. I’ve since qualified that. A great sandwich starts with the right bread. For some sandwiches, a great bread detracts from the experience. For example, a barbecue pulled pork sandwich is about the meat–sauce, bread, coleslaw, these are all distractions. For this sandwich, you want a plain squishy white hamburger bun. A BLT is about the interplay between crisp, salty, smoky bacon, and sweet, fresh tomato, with lettuce and mayonnaise as a bit of window dressing. For that sandwich, you want a simple sliced bread, lightly toasted.

For a muffuletta, the sandwich is the bread. This sandwich, the pride of New Orleans, is named after the round, sesame seed-studded Sicilian bread with which it is made. Unlike many of the traditional American sandwiches we’ve covered, there seems to be little argument around its origin–it was invented at Central Grocery in 1906, and while you can get one at many places in NOLA, Central Grocery remains the standard.

Essentials Muffulettas at Central Grocery

I’ve written about the sandwich before, as Tribunal favorite J.P. Graziano makes a fine version. At one point it was a February special but it has made its way onto their year-round menu, and I started the month by reminding myself why this sandwich is so great.

Muffuletta from J.P. Graziano

And once again, it has to start with the bread. JPG sources their muffuletta bread from Damato’s Bakery, whose bread is the basis of all the best Chicago-style Italian subs I’ve ever had. Their muffuletta bread is covered with sesame seeds, light but chewy, with a distinct but flexible crust. Their muffuletta bread is about 6-7 inches in diameter, making it smaller than the original in New Orleans, but still a challenge for a single eater to finish. (Challenge accepted, challenge defeated, chest beaten in triumph)

Muffuletta from J.P. Graziano

Let’s not forget about what J.P. Graziano does with the bread, though, which is to fill it with high-quality Italian salume, a sharp provolone, and their house-made olive salad, flecked with bits of giardiniera. The oil from the olive salad, and additional oil drizzled into the sandwich, soak into and season the bread. This is a sandwich of strong flavors, which is exactly the kind of thing I like, and in some ways similar to a Chicago-style Italian sub.

I should have stopped there. I really should have. But I have this thing where I have to try and make these sandwiches myself. Not all of them, no, but this one, this one, I had to try. The problem is the bread. Muffuletta bread isn’t so readily available around here. I did find a nice, big, round loaf though. Pane Turano, a big round Italian loaf, 12-14 inches in diameter, around 5 inches high in the center. Close enough, right?

You know it’s not. But thanks for sticking with me anyway.

I sliced that loaf of bread in half, scooped out some of the crumb from the bottom half, and drizzled good Spanish olive oil over both halves. Then I filled it with layers of genoa salami, mortadella, sweet capicola, and sharp provolone. I took a look, said heck with it, and filled it with another layer of each, for good measure. Atop that final layer of cheese I ladled a thick helping of olive salad, mild on one half and spicy on the other.

Then I wrapped it with aluminum foil and let it sit on the counter overnight.

Wrapped in foil overnight

The following morning it was time for the big reveal. I unwrapped the sandwich, cut it in half, and voila!

That is, uh, really big.

OK, so this was too much sandwich still. I cut each half in half, took another look, and split the quarters in half again.

I had to cut it in eighths

That pile of meats… glorious. The olive salad… piquant. The bread…

Too much bread, even scooping some out

The bread was too much. Even if I’d drizzled twice the olive oil, it still would have been too much bread, and too hard, without the give that the muffuletta needs, and without that nutty sesame seed flavor. There’s a reason this sandwich is named after the bread.

I’m sorry, guys, I didn’t do this one justice. I’m just going to J.P. Graziano and getting them from now on when I get the urge.

I hope to make it to New Orleans one day and try the real thing (though I understand that Central Grocery ships now! Wonder how that would work?) Please don’t tell anybody there about this one though. I couldn’t show my face if you did.

Jim Behymer

I like sandwiches.

I like a lot of other things too but sandwiches are pretty great