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Pan Bagnat is a typical sandwich from Nice, the name means wet bread. Larousse Gastronomique, which is the bible for the French cuisine, suggests that the Pan Bagnat originate from the salad nicoise served on stale bread.
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Why it is made with stale bread
In Italy, many of the stale bread recipes originate from fishermen or shepherds who would spend many days away at sea or in the fields and couldn’t get fresh bread. The stale bread had to be wet to become soft again.
An important step in this sandwich is to wet the bread with the juice from the tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil.
Of course, I prefer to make the pan bagnat on fresh bread, and I always look for a nice crunchy bread that will not get soggy with the tomato juices.
Ingredients
The rest of the ingredients are typical of the region: tuna, anchovies, olives and seasonal fresh vegetables like cucumbers, onions, radishes, peppers and celery.
Pan Bagnat is very common here in the region, not only as a street food sandwich but also served as a starter, at buffets and even at Michelin Star restaurants. Full of fresh vegetables and tuna, the Pan Bagnat is a very healthy meal and I often make it for the boys’ school lunch.
I prepare the ingredients the day before and compose the bread in the morning before they leave for school. Although, I don’t use stale bread. I always have a reserve of frozen french bread. It takes 10 minutes to defrost in the oven and it is as nice as fresh
Making the Pan Bagnat
- Prepare all the ingredients: debone the olives, clean and debone the anchovies, drain the tuna from the oil, boil the eggs and cut them into slices
- Slice all the vegetables and cut the tomatoes collecting all the juice
- Cut the bread in half and remove the inside of the bread from both halves.
- Sprinkle both sides with abundant extra virgin olive oil
- Pour over the bread the juice from the tomatoes
- First, lay over the bread the slices of the tomatoes
- Then lay the rest of the vegetables
- Continue with the rest of the ingredients: tuna, anchovies, eggs, olives and basil
- Sprinkle with the red vinegar
- Cover with the top of the bread and cut into 8 portions to serve
Serve it on a tray or cutting board and everyone can take their piece.
For more Mediterranean sandwiches with plenty of vegetables, you can check the article: Ferragosto: a Mediterranean picnic “English style”.
More traditional recipes from Nice
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📋Pan Bagnat
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (French bread)
- 2 boiled eggs
- 1 can tuna canned in olive oil, drained (I buy it in the glass container)
- 3 fresh tomatoes
- 2 stalks stalk of celery (finely sliced)
- 1/4 cup sliced radishes
- 1/4 red onion
- 1/2 red peppers
- 4 anchovies stored in salt (cleaned and deboned)
- 10 nicoise olives (deboned)
- 5 leaves fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp vinegar
Equipment
Looking for kitchen gadget gifts?Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients: debone the olives, clean and debone the anchovies, drain the tuna from the oil, boil the eggs and cut them into slices
- Slice all the vegetables and cut the tomatoes collecting all the juice
- Cut the bread in half and remove the inside of the bread from both halves.
- Sprinkle both sides with abundant extra virgin olive oil
- Pour over the bread the juice from the tomatoes
- First, lay over the bread the slices of the tomatoes
- The lay the rest of the vegetables
- Continue with the rest of the ingredients: tuna, anchovies, eggs, olives and basil
- Sprinkle with the red vinegar
- Cover with the top of the bread and cut into 8 portions to serve
Video
Notes
- this sandwich is traditionally made with stale bread, but fresh is better
- Make sure the bread has a crunchy crust so it does not become soggy.
- Remove some of the crumb inside the bread to make room for plenty of ingredients
- Can be prepared ahead of time
Angela
I enjoy learning about new foods from different cultures and places. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love your step by step photos in how to prepare the sandwich! 🙂
Laura
Thank you Angela, I love to research the origins of traditional food
Patty @pattysaveurs.com
Wow Laura, your pan bagnat is calling my name, I’d love to make me one right now. I don’t put so many ingredients in mine but you gave me ideas. You made me crave for Summer at the beach and a pan bagnat for lunch!
Laura
I’ll tell you Patty, it was delicious. Need to make more often
Pam Greer
This is one of my favorite sandwiches! I love your step by step photos! So helpful!
Laura
Thank you