Muffalettas – N’Awlins Style

Start by slicing your sourdough boule horizontally so that the bottom is 1″ thick. Using your fingers or a spoon, remove most of the excess bread from the top, leaving a deep indentation in the dome of your boule.

Drizzle one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil over each half of the bread, making sure it covers all the way out to the edges. Place both halves, oiled side down on a griddle and toast until the bread is a beautiful golden brown. If you don’t have a griddle, a non-stick skillet works just as well. I like to weigh down the top half so the surface is pressed down onto the griddle.

While the bread is toasting, chop the green olives, open the can of black olives, and spoon out 3 tablespoons of Italian Olive Salad mix (if you can find it, use it); set aside.

Once your bread is toasted to a beautiful, crispy golden brown, remove it from the griddle and place both sides face up on a cutting board.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and green olive juice and blend until smooth (it will be a little on the thin side). Dress each half of the bread with the mayonnaise mixture. Make sure you spread it all the way out to the edges. Next, spread the green olives and olive salad on the top half, and the black olives on the bottom half.

Layer your thin-sliced ham over the top of the black olives, making sure the ham goes all the way out to the edges again. (Remember – no honey or maple glazed ham, please! It will ruin the flavor of the sandwich. You really just need a simple old-fashioned or baked deli ham here.) Arrange your provolone cheese slices over the top of your green olives. Place both halves face-up on a baking sheet and toast them under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until the ham warms and the cheese melts and turns a gorgeous golden brown. Remove from the broiler.

Using a spatula, flip the top half onto the bottom half to bring your sandwich together. Allow your muffaletta to rest for at least 5 minutes before you cut it. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the muffaletta into wedges.

Now grab a cold Abita beer and a bag of spicy Cajun potato chips and dig in! It’s a Mardi Gras party on a paper plate (beads not included).