Muffuletta

Name: Muffuletta
Ingredients: 1 pound, plum tomatoes (as uniform in size as possible), halved lengthwise, cored, seeded, and skin pricked 6 to 8 times with tip of a sharp knife (see illustrations below); 1 cup, pitted green olives (brine cured), chopped coarse; 1 cup, pitted black olives (brine cured), chopped coarse; 1/2 cup, olive oil; 1/4 cup, chopped fresh parsley leaves; 1 , medium red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced fine; 2 tablespoons, lemon juice from 1 small lemon; 1 teaspoon, dried oregano; 1 loaf, Italian bread or French bread, large, (about 9-inch diameter), halved crosswise, most of the inner crumb removed; 2 cups, leaf lettuce, any type or combination, torn into bite size pieces, if necessary; 1/4 pound, mortadella, thin-sliced (or other soft salami); 1/4 pound, provolone cheese or fresh mozzarella, thin-sliced; 1/4 pound, soppresatta, thin-sliced (or other hard salami)

Main Courses
Vegetables
Pork
Cheese
Sandwiches

Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 1996

When poorly prepared, a muffuletta is a soggy, bland sandwich that can easily fall apart. Our goal was to make this sandwich flavorful and manageable to eat.

SERVES 6

TIME 3¾ to 4¾ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling and 12½ hours chilling

Why This Recipe Works

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