PENSIONER'S DELIGHT: POTLUCK/PARTY MUFFLETTA (multi-layered Italian sarnie, veggie o ptio)

67goingon50's Pensioners' Muffletta, a multi-layered Italian-style sandwich, is for people who love soft bread and dentist-friendly but lively fillings...

It may look like a load of standard fillings but nearly every one has a taste twist that provides multiples layers of stunning flavours

That includes pensioners, the dentally challenged of all ages and toddlers.

Normal mufflettas use crispy topped panini or ciabatta with chewy interiors and layers of cold Italian charcuterie, olives and salad.  They are, to be sure, fabulous.

But this one was a special treat for 4 delightful senior ladies at a picnic during the intermission of Macbeth at Keats House.  With champers!

Readers, they were thrilled with it!

A small cholla loaf big enough for 8, soft but sturdy*, was filled with 6 layers of classic soft fillings but with unexpected twists. 

The muffletta isn't frugul but nor is it extravagant, especially since the portions are loaded and 8 portions is not a small number.pre3

The recipe may seem daunting but as long as you get everything ready (perhaps the previous day?) before you prepare and fill the bread, you will be fine.

Cost: £10'ish depending on fridge contents

Feeds: 8 hungry people

Ingredients:

1 medium cholla loaf, plain or seeded (enough for 8 regular portions)

5-6 soft butter or soft lettuce leaves washed & throughly dried

Filling 1

lettuce leaves

Filling 2

1/2 cup thinly sliced chicken breast

Dressing: 1 tbsp mayo

               2 tbsp thick plain yoghurt

               1.5 tbsp cranberry sauce or piccalilly

Filling 3

Soft brie, thinly sliced (no need to remove rind)

Filling 4

2 large thin slices ham

smear of Dijon mustard

Filling 5

single layer lettuce leaves lining bottom & half way up sides

Filling 6

1 tin tuna steak (or very good quality flakes, drained & coarsely broken up)

grated zest of lemon

juice of half a lemon

2 sping onions, green & white, both whites finely sliced 

lots of coarsely grated black pepper

Dressing: 1.5tb olive oil; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; half clove grated garlic (opt but adds punch); 1/2 tsp mustard (wholegrain or Dijon); salt; pinch of sugar

Filling 7

layer of thinly sliced cucumber (opt)

Filling 7

egg mayo (supermarket, your own or 3 eggs, hardboiled, coarsely grated & moistened with just enough yoghurt mayo)

1/3 recipe supermarket or make your own sunblush tomato bombs, finely chopped

 

Filling 8

half a tub supermarket hummous or 67's singletons's easy skinny hummous

handful toasted sunflower seeds (opt)

thinly sliced cucumber

Filling 9

single layer soft butter lettuce

Method:

Equipment needed: 2 small trays, a small heavy book

1. Prepare ingredient fillings the day or night before; cover; refrigerate till needed
2. At least 2 hours before serving:
3. Slice the top off the cholla bread about 1 inch/2cm in depth
4. About 1.5 inches from the edge of the bottom, cut an inner ring of soft bread; remove all but a 1.5 inches/3m of the bottom (there should be a circular flat base in the bottom of the loaf-see photo abovew)
5. Thoroughly dry lettuce leaves; line the base and half way up the sides with 2-3 pieces of lettuce, folding or tearing to fit
6. Stir chicken pieces to prevent clumping; add only enough dressing to hold the contents together generously but not wet
7. Cover with thinly sliced brie, leaving spaces if necessary to spread to edges
8. Cover the brie layer entirely with slices of ham; smear lightly with Dijon mustard
9. Cover with a layer of lettuce reaching to the top of the loaf
10. Pour ingredients for tuna dressing into a small jar with tight lid; shake until mixture thickens, set aside; mix tuna with rest of ingredients until well mixed; pour over dressing...the tuna mix will be a little dry which is as it should be. Spread evenly over lettuce; cover with cucumber slices if using 
11. Mix egg mayo with finely chopped sunblush tomato, adding a little of the juices if you like
12. Cover egg with hummous; scatter over sunflower seeds
13. Cover with soft dry lettuce; top with cholla lid
14. Wrap twice in clingfilm; place on a tray
15. Cover with a small tray holding a good sized book
16. Refrigerate a few hours...no more than 4
17. Slice into wedges on site

Comments from the feisty group of mature ladies/early feminists:

'This is really really nice!'

'Could I have a bigger piece? Oh, alright, I'll have two!'

'Very tasty.'

'Yes, I would love to take home the leftovers!!'

'Think it's going to be bunch of boring old fillings? Think again.  Nearly every layer has an unexpected and unusual flavour.  Fabulous!'

Tips:

Vegetarian option: 

• replace chicken with tofu 'chicken' gougons
• replace ham with vegan deli ham (M&S/Waitrose) OR thinly sliced vegetarian frankfurthers (Tivali: Waitrose, Mr Mistry South End Green) 

* small cholla loaf £3.90, Roni's Hampstead & Belsize Village

Notes:  The muffuletta is an Italian sandwich that originated in the Italian immigrant community of New Orlean.  It's always been hefty, initially with  only has three components: bread, a spicy olive salad and Italian charcuterie. Nowadays there are many variations, including soft cheeses, cooked and raw vegetables and rich dressings.

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission