Ingredients
3 large portobello mushroom caps
1 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 French baguette (French bread)
New Orleans style olive salad (see separate recipe)
Roasted red bell peppers (homemade are great, jarred are ok; see note)
6 slices provolone cheese
Alfalfa sprouts (about 2 cups), or other sprouts of your choice
Directions
If desired, scrape the dark gills from underneath the mushroom caps. Slice the mushroom caps into slender strips.
Heat a sauté pan and a tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the mushroom strips. Sprinkle with some salt
and freshly ground pepper. Toss & saute until the strips are limp and dry. Set aside and let cool.
To assemble sandwich: Start by cutting the baguette lengthwise. Tear out some of the bread-y part from the bottom
layer. This will allow the olive salad to sit without squirting out all over the place while eating.
Once the bottom layer of the baguette has been hollowed out, spoon olive salad into the cavity. Follow by spooning
the cooked portobello mushroom slices over the olive salad. Next, place a single layer of roasted red bell pepper,
then the provolone cheese. Finally, place the sprouts on top of the cheese. As a final step, spoon some of the
olive salad seasoned oil on the top of the baguette loaf.
To serve: Cut into desired size pieces and secure with a frilly toothpick.
Notes
An authentic muffaletta isn't vegetarian at all, but has layers of assorted Italian meats - typically mortadella
(or bologna), prosciutto (or ham), soprasatta or Genoa salami, etc. The whole thing includes cheese & olive
salad, and is assembled on a big turban-style muffaletta bread. It is then cut into fourths and place in a pizza
oven to cook. The whole sandwich is enough to feed four persons.
Homemade roasted red peppers are the best, but the ones in the jar are an acceptable substitute. Making your own
is very simple. Just take red bell peppers (3 should do it for this recipe) and sit them on top of a gas stove
flame, turning them until they are charred black all over. While still warm, place in a paper or plastic bag, seal
up, and let steam for about 15 minutes. Remove from the bag and peel or scrape off the black charred skin. Trim
the core and remove the seeds. You can store these in olive oil in the refrigerator for about a week.