240brickman
Senior Cook
Hi all!
I worked my old muffuletta recipe to include (freshly) roasted red pepper. I'd been using the stuff in the jar, which tastes pretty good, but the overall salad always had a very "pickley" flavor. Using the home-roasted pepper adds a nice touch of sweetness to the sandwich, and the texture is a bit firmer and crisper than the stuff from a jar.
Muffuletta Dressing
1 good-sized roasted red (bell) pepper, cored and seeded
1 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup pitted Greek (salt-cured) olives
2 cloves garlic, each cut into quarters
2 TBS capers , drained
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pepperoncinis, cored and seeded
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion (whatever kind you like)
1/2 tsp celery seed
2 TBS torn fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
4 TBS torn fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)
3/4 tsp ground black pepper (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
Put all ingredients except for the oil, vinegar, and ground black pepper into food processor bowl. "Pulse" ingredients three or four times, for about 2 seconds each time. Remove processor lid, and scrape down sides as necessary.
Add the black pepper and the vinegar; pulse briefly two or three more times. Again, scrape down sides afterward.
Finally, add 1/2 cup of olive oil, and pulse (in short bursts) until the mixture looks (and sounds) smoother, but is still fairly chunky. If necessary, scrape down the sides between pulses.
Store the mixture in a non-metal container with a removable lid. Use the smallest container possible (one which will hold the mixture, with very little airspace). If necessary, add more olive oil to the container so that the mixture is completely covered.
Allow the mixture to mellow, in the refrigerator, for at least 12 hours. Recipe yields about 2-3 cups (varies somewhat, based on size of vegetables!).
Spread about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the dressing onto your sliced loaf of bread (more or less, to your liking). Don't worry about letting the oil drain too much; the flavor-infused oil will soak into the bread.
Assemble the sandwich, using your favorite meats and cheeses, and then DON'T EAT IT. Nope, you have to wrap the whole thing in plastic, and store it in the fridge for a couple of hours. It's a floor-pacing couple of hours, but it's worth the wait. If you can put a little weight on the sandwich (I use a cutting board with a 6-pack on top), it makes the flavor-fusion even better.
--J
I worked my old muffuletta recipe to include (freshly) roasted red pepper. I'd been using the stuff in the jar, which tastes pretty good, but the overall salad always had a very "pickley" flavor. Using the home-roasted pepper adds a nice touch of sweetness to the sandwich, and the texture is a bit firmer and crisper than the stuff from a jar.
Muffuletta Dressing
1 good-sized roasted red (bell) pepper, cored and seeded
1 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup pitted Greek (salt-cured) olives
2 cloves garlic, each cut into quarters
2 TBS capers , drained
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pepperoncinis, cored and seeded
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion (whatever kind you like)
1/2 tsp celery seed
2 TBS torn fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
4 TBS torn fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)
3/4 tsp ground black pepper (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
Put all ingredients except for the oil, vinegar, and ground black pepper into food processor bowl. "Pulse" ingredients three or four times, for about 2 seconds each time. Remove processor lid, and scrape down sides as necessary.
Add the black pepper and the vinegar; pulse briefly two or three more times. Again, scrape down sides afterward.
Finally, add 1/2 cup of olive oil, and pulse (in short bursts) until the mixture looks (and sounds) smoother, but is still fairly chunky. If necessary, scrape down the sides between pulses.
Store the mixture in a non-metal container with a removable lid. Use the smallest container possible (one which will hold the mixture, with very little airspace). If necessary, add more olive oil to the container so that the mixture is completely covered.
Allow the mixture to mellow, in the refrigerator, for at least 12 hours. Recipe yields about 2-3 cups (varies somewhat, based on size of vegetables!).
Spread about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the dressing onto your sliced loaf of bread (more or less, to your liking). Don't worry about letting the oil drain too much; the flavor-infused oil will soak into the bread.
Assemble the sandwich, using your favorite meats and cheeses, and then DON'T EAT IT. Nope, you have to wrap the whole thing in plastic, and store it in the fridge for a couple of hours. It's a floor-pacing couple of hours, but it's worth the wait. If you can put a little weight on the sandwich (I use a cutting board with a 6-pack on top), it makes the flavor-fusion even better.
--J
