Muffaletta Sandwich

My wife used to live in New Orleans and this sandwich was the claim-to-fame of a shop called Central Grocery, a little deli that specializes in Italian cold cuts, cheeses and condiments. The best thing about this delicious sandwich is that it improves over a couple of hours as it "ages" under wraps. It can be pressed under a heavy kitchen pot or if you are out in the bush, use your own considerable bulk to compress the marinade, meats and cheese.

Slice the bread in half through the "equator" and take out some of the inside of the loaf. Lay out the two halves and spread the chopped (or pureed) olive salad over both surfaces. If you can’t find olive salad, use 1/2 pickled vegetables and 1/2 pitted green olives. Alternate layers of cold cuts, cheese and roasted peppers on the bottom half. Place the top half on and press down firmly. Double wrap with cling film and then foil. Press down firmly for 45 minutes to 3 hours and slice into wedges. This is the kind of sandwich that beat up other sandwiches in elementary school.

Muffaletta Sandwich