Muffaletta

Move over ham and cheese. This American-Sicilian favourite showcases three types of sliced meats, provolone, roast capsicum and a tapenade-style olive salad, all encased in a hollowed-out cob.

Credit: Chris Chen

• serves

  8

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 red capsicum or 150 g store-bought roasted red capsicum
• 1 20 cm-diameter Italian-style cob loaf
• 12 slices (about 150 g) coppa (see Note) or prosciutto
• 15 slices (about 350 g) provolone*
• 12 slices (about 150 g) hot salami
• 12 thin slices (about 150 g) ham off the bone

Olive salad

• 150 g (1 cup) pimento-stuffed green olives, drained
• 40 g (¼ cup) pitted Kalamata olives, drained
• 80 g (½ cup) giardiniera (see Note), drained
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Start this recipe a day ahead and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours to develop.

Instructions

Place capsicum directly over a gas flame turning with tongs for 15 minutes until blackened all over. Transfer to a bowl, cool slightly, then rub off charred skins. Carefully cut open capsicum (juices will still be hot) and discard seeds. Cut into 3 pieces.

To make olive salad, place olives, giardiniera, garlic and capers in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a bowl, season with pepper and stir in vinegar, olive oil and parsley. Makes 1½ cups.

Slice cob in half horizontally through the centre. Using your hands, remove bread to hollow out both halves of cob, leaving a 1½ cm-thick shell. Reserve bread for another use.

Place cob halves on a work surface, cut-side up. Spread olive salad inside the bread shells, pressing down firmly with a large spoon. Layer coppa inside base half of cob, pressing down firmly, then top with one-third of the provolone, then half the salami. Top with half the remaining provolone, then the capsicum, ham, remaining provolone and remaining salami. Ensure each layer is pressed down firmly, and completely covers the layer underneath. Cover with top half of cob and press down firmly.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place on a plate. Cover with an upturned plate and place a heavy can on top to weigh it down. Refrigerate overnight. Serve cut into wedges.

Note

• Coppa (dry-cured pork), provolone (semi-hard cow’s milk cheese) and giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) are from selected delis.

Also written by Kirrily La Rosa and Wendy Quisumbing. Photography by Chris Chen.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.