Author Notes
What if the least important part of a traditional muffuletta sandwich is the meat? When I think about this classic sandwich, the olive relish is the first element that comes to mind, with its acidity, saltiness, and spiciness. Next, I think about the bread, which needs to be crusty on the outside but soft on the inside. Sharp provolone is another essential ingredient for me.
With these flavor components in place, I thought it would be fun to swap the cured meats for vegetables. I chose to add homemade roasted red peppers to this sandwich, along with broiled carrots and cauliflower. But I encourage you to experiment with any vegetables you like.
Please note that it can be hard to find authentic muffuletta bread outside of New Orleans. Depending on what bread you end up using, the amounts of each ingredient that you put on the sandwich may change slightly. Use your common sense, and add as much provolone, olive relish, or cauliflower as you like. —Josh Cohen
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Ingredients
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1
loaf of Italian bread topped with sesame seeds (you can substitute focaccia or ciabatta)
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2
red peppers
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1 tablespoon
capers, chopped
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1 cup
pitted Castelvetrano olives (or your favorite pitted green olive)
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1
clove garlic, minced
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3
pickled pepperoncini peppers, stems and seeds removed, finely chopped
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1/2 cup
olive oil, plus extra for roasting the carrots and cauliflower
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2 tablespoons
red wine vinegar, plus an extra splash to season the cauliflower
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1 1/2 teaspoons
fennel seeds, lightly crushed
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1 1/2 teaspoons
dried oregano
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1/2 teaspoon
celery seeds
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1/2 teaspoon
chili flakes
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1
shallot, minced
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2
large carrots
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1
small head cauliflower
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1 handful
basil leaves
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1/4 pound
aged provolone, thinly sliced
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1 handful
arugula
Directions
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Cut the red peppers into quarters, removing the stems, seeds, and membranes. Lay the peppers flat on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, skin-side up. Broil the peppers until the skins are completely charred and blackened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the charred peppers to a mixing bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam for 10 to 20 minutes, until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the charred skin off the peppers. Set the roasted red peppers aside.
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Add the capers, olives, garlic, pepperoncini peppers, and the 1/2 cup of olive oil to a food processor, and pulse until the ingredients are roughly chopped. Transfer the pulsed ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and add the red wine vinegar, fennel seeds, dried oregano, celery seeds, chili flakes, and shallot. Fold all the ingredients together. Keep in mind that some excess oil is a good thing—it will soak into the bread and make the sandwich delicious. Taste the olive mixture. It should taste strongly acidic, salty, and spicy. Adjust the flavor with more salt or red wine vinegar as necessary. Set the mixture aside.
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Peel the carrots and cut them into planks about 1/4-inch thick. Place the carrots on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and toss the carrots so they are coated on all sides. Season with a pinch of salt. Broil the carrots until they begin to caramelize, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Set the carrots aside.
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Cut the cauliflower into florets, transfer to a mixing bowl, and toss with olive oil to coat. Arrange the cauliflower on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, season with salt, and broil until the florets begin to char and caramelize. Keep a close eye on the cauliflower to prevent it from burning. Remove the cauliflower from the oven when the tops of the florets begin to turn dark. When the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, gather 2 cups of the roasted florets and roughly chop them. Any extra roasted cauliflower can be saved for a different use. Transfer the chopped roasted cauliflower to a mixing bowl and season with a splash of red wine vinegar. Taste it. Adjust with salt as needed.
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Time to assemble the sandwich. Slice the bread in half with a serrated knife. If the bread seems too tall, use the serrated knife to trim away some of the middle of the bread. Spread the olive mixture onto both halves of the bread, allowing some of the extra oil to soak into the bread. Starting with the bottom piece of bread, lay down the carrots, followed by the cauliflower. Tear the basil leaves with your hands and place them on top of the cauliflower. Next, add the provolone, followed by the roasted red peppers. Place a handful of arugula onto the top piece of bread. If there is excess oil leftover from your olive mixture, drizzle some of this over the arugula. Close the sandwich, slice it into wedges, and enjoy.
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