Who Really Invented the Muffuletta? A Grocer's Solution to a Messy Problem

Who really invented the muffuletta? A Sicilian grocer who was tired of watching a messy problem. The muffuletta was born at Central Grocery, when Salvatore "Toto" Lupo watched French Market vendors wrestling cold cuts, cheese, olive salad and bread balanced precariously on their laps as they ate. His simple solution was to put it all inside the bread. A sandwich was born, and New Orleans was never the same. But this isn't just a sandwich story. It's the forgotten story of an entire neighborhood of Sicilian immigrants "Little Palermo" and a shop that has weathered hurricanes and still stands on the same spot on Decatur Street. In this episode, I recreate the muffuletta bread which is round and sesame-topped. We make the olive salad, and dig into the primary source: Marie Lupo Tusa's 1980 book The Melting Pot, written by Lupo's own daughter, who lived to 103. Muffuletta Sandwich Inspired by Central Grocery of New Orleans Adapted from Cook’s Country Cookbook Olive Spread – 2 Sandwiches 2 cups giardiniera in a jar – you can buy mild or spicy 1 cup pimento stuffed green olives - rinse the olives to lessen the surface brine. ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives - rinsed 1 tablespoon capers - rinsed 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 large garlic clove finely minced ½ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ tsp red pepper flakes – gives a mild “kick” ¼ tsp dried thyme Mix the above items together in food processor. Give it 6 pulses so it is coarsely ground. You don’t want it turning into a paste. Pour out into a bowl and add the following and mix. ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup fresh chopped Italian Parsley Note: I state to rinse the olives and capers since this is a salty sandwich. It does not remove the salt, of course, but does remove the surface brine. It will make a small difference. Let the Olive Spread sit for at least 30 minutes before putting it on the bread. Bread We are taking a short cut here. Buy two 1 pound balls of frozen pizza dough. This worked very well for me. Keep frozen until the day before you make the Muffuletta. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours before use, so it can thaw. Then, remove from package and sit out on an olive oil greased cookie sheet for about 1 or 2 hours. Press out dough until about 7 or 8 inches in diameter. Brush tops with egg wash from 1 egg. Add 1 tsp of sesame seeds to the tops of the dough. Add a little more if needed. Bake in oven at 425° about 18-20 minutes. They will be golden brown. Meats Some of these may not be available so feel free to substitute but make sure you always use the salami and provolone cheese. Have the cold cuts sliced on the thinnest level. 4 ounces thinly sliced Genoa Salami 6 ounces thinly sliced aged provolone cheese – Aged cheese has a stronger flavor which is what you want for this sandwich. 6 ounces thinly sliced mortadella – this has a unique flavor. If you have not had it before you may want to taste it first. It’s like a strong bologna. 4 ounces thinly sliced capicola Divide the meat and cheese in half for 2 sandwiches. The Build Cut your muffuletta bread in half. Spread the olive spread/salad on each side going all the way to the edge. Build in this order: salami, provolone, mortadella, provolone, capicola Put together and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Put a weight like a heavy cast iron skillet on top for an hour, turning the sandwich over at the 30 minute mark. Cut into fourths and serve. Buon appetito! #ForgottenRecipes #FoodHistory #Nostalgia #Muffuletta #NewOrleans