Pan Bagnat

This should be called PAIN bagnat instead of pan bagnat (because it was a bit of a pain to make!).

The word "pan bagnat" means "wet bread" in French and this sandwich is just that!
Like a panzanella salad (bread salad) from Italy, where you moisten the bread with oil and vinegar to soften.

This sandwich originated in Nice, France and is basically a Nicoise Salad in a loaf (minus the green beans). Next time I will stick with my Salade Nicoise, much easier to prepare.

This was a chore to make, but worth the effort. There are a lot of ingredients involved and then you layer them in a hollowed out loaf of bread and weigh it down overnight with weights. You following me?

I saw a great looking photo (never browse for recipes on line when you are hungry) on tastespotting, the recipe originated from the L.A. Times.
I love the combination of ingredients and the photo was so pretty, so I decided to make one.

Pan Bagnat (makes enough for 6 for lunch):

1 baguette

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup black olives
4 tablespoons capers
1 clove garlic, minced

2 cans Italian tuna in olive oil, drained and broken apart
2 small boiling potatoes, boiled, cooled and sliced thinly
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced thinly
2 small vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup arugula










1. Halve the baguette lengthwise and scoop out a little of the interior of both sides with your fingers.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper until combined. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified and set aside.

3. Coarsely chop the olives and capers, then combine in a small bowl with the minced garlic and set aside.

4. Fill the bottom part of the baguette with the olive mixture, spreading it evenly across the hollowed-out baguette. Layer the tuna over the olives, then, in even layers, add the potatoes, eggs and tomatoes. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the sandwich, then add the onions and the arugula, pressing down on the contents as you go. Top with the other baguette half and wrap the sandwich tightly with plastic. Refrigerate overnight, weighted with a cutting board or a plate topped with some cans or bottles.

5. The next day, take the sandwich out of the refrigerator in the morning and cut into sixths. Wrap individually and pack for lunch: the sandwiches are best when they've been sitting at room temperature for a couple of hours.

6. Eat and enjoy!