New Orleans Muffuletta

In 1906, Salvatore Lupo opened Central Grocery on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. Sicilian immigrants working the nearby docks would come in for lunch, ordering their usual provisions separately: a round loaf of sesame bread, some sliced meats, cheese, and the olive salad they craved from home. Lupo watched them assemble these components into sandwiches and had a revelation. He started building them himself. The muffuletta was born.

The name comes from the bread, a soft, round loaf about ten inches across, seeded with sesame and sturdy enough to absorb the olive salad's oil without disintegrating. Finding proper muffuletta bread outside New Orleans requires effort. A good focaccia works, as does a round Italian loaf with a soft crumb. What matters is size, sturdiness, and a neutral flavor that won't compete with the fillings.

The olive salad is everything. This is not a condiment you add at the end. It is the soul of the sandwich, a briny, garlicky, oil-slicked mixture of green olives, kalamatas, giardiniera vegetables, capers, and herbs that must be made at least a day ahead. The flavors need time to marry. The oil needs time to become infused. Rush this step and you've made a decent Italian sub. Give it time and you've made a muffuletta.