A new direction with the Blog & Jambalaya!

A Taste of New Orleans


When people mention food from New Orleans, everyone immediately thinks of Gumbo, Jambalaya, Crawfish Boils, and food seasoned with spicy cayenne pepper.  Maybe it's Po' Boys or red Beans and Rice.  Of course, it could also be bread pudding and bananas foster (YUM YUM!!!) but there's something else.  What else is there?
  

MUFFULETTAS!!!!!!!!!

Oh yes!  Muffulettas.  Muffulettas are as much New Orleans as the French Quarter, Bourbon Street and gumbo.  What is a muffuletta you ask?  It is one of the greatest sandwiches EVER! This sandwich is pure Italian, and pure Sicilian if you want to be specific. New Orleans, in its population and its cuisine, owes much to Italy and especially Sicily.  According to some websites, 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.

Muffulettas are as much about the bread as they are the meats, the cheese, and the olives salad.  You can't substitute here.  I've tried.  It just isn't the same.

For the bread:

1 cup warm water (approx 110 degrees F)
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Dry Active yeast
3 Cups Bread Flour (plus a little extra)
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
Sesame Seeds

Directions:

1. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, combine water and sugar.
2. Stir in yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl attached to a mixer with a dough hook combine the flour, salt, and shortening
4. Add the water, sugar and yeast mixture
5. Start mixer on low and run until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  If it is too sticky add flour a tablespoon at a time.  If it is too dry, add warm water a teaspoon at a time.
6. Oil a large bowl and turn dough out into bowl.  Turn dough to coat in oil.
7. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for an hour to hour and a half until it doubles in size
8. After it has doubled in size, punch the dough down and turn out onto a grease sheet pan.
9. For dough into a 10 inch loaf
10. Gently press sesame seeds into the dough
11. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an hour.
12. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
13. Once dough has risen, remove plastic wrap and place in center of rack in oven and bake a 425 for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 375 and bake for 20-25 minutes.  
14. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.

For the Sandwich:

1.  The loaf of bread from above
2. 1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
3. 1/4 pound ham, thinly sliced
4. 1/4 pound hard Genoa salami, thinly sliced
5. 1/4 pound Mozzarella cheese, sliced
6. 1/4 pound Provolone cheese,sliced 
7. 1 Cup olive salad (see below)

Split the bread in half horizontally.  Spread the olive salad evenly on the bread.  Layer the meats and cheeses onto the bread.  Cut the sandwich into quarters and serve.

Olive Salad:

I have never made it; instead, I just  buy it from Whole Foods Market.  If you can't find it in the store, here is a recipe for it (it makes a lot of it): 

2. 1 gallon large pimento stuffed green olives, slightly crushed and well drained
3. 1 quart jar pickled cauliflower, drained and sliced
4. 2 small jars capers, drained
5. 1 whole stalk celery, sliced diagonally
6. 4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
7. 1 small jar celery seeds
8. 1 small jar oregano
9. 1 large head fresh garlic, peeled and minced
10. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11. 1 jar pepperoncini, drained (small salad peppers) left whole
12. 1 pound large Greek black olives
13. 1 jar cocktail onions, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pot and mix well. Place in a large jar and cover with 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 Crisco oil. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before using. 

I  usually make 2 loaves of the bread.  Somehow, I never manage make mine 10 inches in diameter.  They are usually 12 or 14 inches.  I make sandwiches with both loaves and it makes enough sandwiches for my family to eat on for a few days.

Enjoy!