A vienna sourdough loaf cut in half, hollowed out to leave a 2cm crust, and packed with D'Orsogna salami, leg ham, coppa, provolone, stracciatella and a generous spoon of olivada. Pressed under a weight for an hour so the bread soaks the oils and the cured meat fat. Sliced into wedges at the table.

The muffuletta is the Sicilian-American sandwich of New Orleans, born in the early 1900s at Central Grocery on Decatur Street in the French Quarter when Italian dock workers needed lunch they could carry. The defining element is the olive salad (the olivada here), a brined, oil-cured spread of olives, capers and pickled vegetables that soaks into the bread and stops it from going dry under the weight of the meat.

Use a round bread rather than a baguette; the round shape lets you press and slice in wedges like a savoury cake. Hollowing the loaf is non-negotiable. The crust is the wall, the filling is the engine.

Press with a weight (a chopping board with a heavy pan on top works) for at least an hour, ideally two. Serve at room temperature on a picnic blanket with a bottle of Sicilian red and a knife to slice with.