Emeril's Muffuletta
- Emeril Lagasse
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
This iconic New Orleans sandwich has three varieties of cold meats, provolone cheese, and a piquant olive salad.
Active Time: 30 mins | Total Time: 2 hrs | Servings: 8 |
The muffuletta is the archetypal New Orleans sandwich composed of cured meats, cheese, and piquant olive salad, all assembled atop a robust Italian baguette. Preparing it at home reveals the muffuletta's allure: a substantial sandwich including several cured meats and cheeses, complemented by a delectable olive-and-pickle relish, essentially serves as a portable charcuterie board for eight. In summary, it is ideal for outdoor events with a ravenous audience.
Emeril Lagasse's enhanced edition features multiple improvements: Capers and kalamata olives are included into the olive salad, capocollo (or prosciutto) is interspersed with Genoa salami and mortadella, while slices of fresh mozzarella contribute creaminess, texture, and a slight tang to the customary provolone.
Who was the original inventor of the muffuletta?
Salvatore Lupo is acknowledged as the inventor of the muffuletta in the early 1900s. A Sicilian immigrant established Central Grocery in 1906 in the French Quarter. Lupo was inspired after saw other Sicilian immigrants purchase components such as salami, cheese, olive salad, and muffuletta bread (which ultimately provided the sandwich its name) and consume them individually. He opted to amalgamate all the components into one sandwich, resulting in the muffuletta.
What alternatives exist for capocollo?
Any other finely sliced Italian cured pig products, such as prosciutto or salami, may substitute for capocollo. Note that if you encounter difficulties locating capocollo, it is occasionally marketed as coppa, capicola, or gabagool.
Observations from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
This sandwich is abundantly filled with meat, cheese, and garnishes. Removing portion of the bread's interior—particularly when utilizing a boule rather than an Italian loaf—provides additional space for the filling while minimizing mess. Moreover, it is more convenient to consume.
Prepare in advance
Prepare the olive salad up to two days prior and refrigerate it covered. The wrapped muffuletta may be stored at ambient temperature for a maximum of two hours.
Ingredients
1 cup giardiniera, drained and chopped, plus 1 tablespoon liquid
1 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives plus 2 tablespoons liquid
2 tablespoons drained capers plus 2 teaspoons liquid
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large (about 1 1/4 pounds) seeded Italian bread round, halved crosswise
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
6 ounces thinly sliced capocollo or prosciutto (about 42 slices)
4 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami (about 16 slices)
4 ounces thinly sliced mortadella (about 6 slices)
4 ounces mild provolone cheese slices (about 7 slices)
Whole peperoncini, for serving
Directions
Step 1:
Combine giardiniera, pimiento-stuffed olives, capers, and their saved juices in a medium bowl. Incorporate olive oil, kalamata olives, shallot, garlic, oregano, parsley, crushed red pepper, and thyme; allow the olive salad to rest uncovered at ambient temperature for 1 hour.
Step 2:
Apply olive salad to both slices of bread. Place mozzarella slices on the lower half of the bread slice; layer with capocollo, salami, and mortadella. Position provolone slices on the upper part of the bread piece, ensuring complete coverage of the olive salad. Seal the sandwich and securely encase it in plastic wrap; allow it to rest at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes. Dispose of plastic wrap. Slice the sandwich into eight wedges and present with peperoncini alongside.
First published: July 2005
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