Giant Muffaletta Sandwich
1
- Prep Time30 min
- Total Time30 min
- MakesServes 4
Recipe by Chantal Braganza, produced by Sun Ngo, photography by Christie Vuong, food styling by Ashley Denton, prop styling by Nicole Billark
Piled high with deli meats then pressed down into a dense and delicious sandwich, this crowd-pleaser can be sliced into meal-sized servings or bite-sized appetizers. Be sure to dress the bread generously with olive oil when assembling; it helps the sandwich to settle and flavours to mingle while it chills.
Filling
1 cup pitted green olives
3/4 cup giardiniera, drained (see tip)
1/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley
1/4 capers, drained
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
To serve
1 calabrese round loaf (see tip) or 2 12-in. sub sandwich loaves
200 g each thinly sliced salami, soppressata and mortadella
200 g thinly sliced provolone cheese
1 340-g mozzarella cheese ball, sliced (optional)
Instructions
Filling: Combine olives, giardiniera, roasted peppers, jalapeno (if using), shallot, garlic, parsley, capers, 2 tbsp oil and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse a few times until ingredients are evenly chopped into a fine mince. Taste and add extra vinegar as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice calabrese or sub loaves in half. Using your fingers, hollow out the bread from the top and bottom pieces, leaving a ½- to 1-in.–thick shell. Brush each cut-side with remaining 4 tbsp oil, then spread filling evenly on each side. Layer bottom piece with deli meats and cheese slices (or divide between two sub loaves), then sandwich with top piece. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (or in a reusable sealable sandwich bag, pressing out the air). Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs, ideally with a weighted plate on top to press slightly. To serve, unwrap and slice into wedges.
Kitchen tips
- Giardiniera, an Italian pickled vegetable mix, can be found in the pickle aisle of most grocery stores.
- A calabrese round loaf is used here as a substitute for muffaletta bread, which is hard to find in Canadian bakeries.
This recipe is part of a feature on summer sandwiches.
Chantal Braganza is a writer and editor living in Toronto. She is deputy editor, food at Chatelaine, a cookbook nerd, lover of vintage dish ware, and currently training for yoga teacher certification. Her first book, Story of Your Mother, is out with Strange Light Press.
