Need a delicious and easy idea for a perfect summer weekend meal? Well today is your lucky day because this Tuna Pan Bagnat is just that. It’s tasty, packed with flavor and not fussy at all. You can use whatever you have, leave out what you don’t, substitute away and voila. Hot weather cooking and eating at it’s best. And want to make this ahead of time or take it to the park for a picnic? No problem. It’s meant to be made in advance, as the longer it sits, the better it gets. And it’s the definition of picnic food since it doesn’t have mayo, and can stay out of the fridge for a decent amount of time.
Pan bagnat (pronounced [pɑ̃ baˈɲa] ) is the French name for a classic Provençal sandwich which means “bathed bread” or “wet bread.” This is due to the olive oil or dressing in which the bread is brushed with and then gets to marinate with until eaten. The recommendation is 24 hours for best flavor.
The ingredients are very similar to those in a Nicoise salad paired with a rustic and crusty loaf of bread like ciabatta, so it doesn’t get too soggy. I have noticed there’s different variations of this sandwich, some including tuna, others not, some with ham, and some all vegetables. While someone who grew up with this treat or very familiar with it might disagree with me, I say fill it any way you like and get creative.
The addition of the dressing or just some lemon juice and olive oil is key to keeping with the most important element of the sandwich, as is the layering and then pressing of the bread. I happen to love a Nicoise salad as well as Panzanella, a classic Italian bread salad, which I also like to include with tuna. So my version is a combo of the two.
I opted not to include a hard boiled egg which is pretty traditional as well as the anchovies. I would have liked to add the anchovies but I didn’t have any. Tuna packed in oil or water is just fine. Use what you have. And as far as timing, if you’re short on it, I have let our sandwhich chill in the refrigerator for about 6 1/2 hours as the shortest amount of time to marinate and it was delicious. And have also enjoyed it up to about 27 hours after making it. Both results were fabulous so work with the time you have. Below are just some of the notes I think are important to yield the best and tastiest outcome.
My tips for the perfect Pan Bagnat:
- Make sure your bread has a sturdy crust and not that tight of a crumb like a ciabatta or if it does scoop some of the inside out. (I used my homemade ciabatta and while the top could be a little more golden brown, it was still nice and crusty.)
- Don’t skip on the garlic in the vinaigrette if you can help it. It’s yummy.
- Don’t slice the cucumber too thin (it’s a little too thin in these photos.) You want it to have a little crunch still after marinating.
- The fresh basil is really a great addition, add some parsley or dill if you have it.
- They are not pictured in the photos, but I have added green bell peppers before, and I really do recommend them. Great crunch and nice flavor.
Ready to give this a try and be instantly transported to Nice. I hope so. And in case you need a little inspo on maybe what to pair this with….we liked it just fine with some good ol’ potato chips and not so French agua fresca. Here’s a good recipe for my Cucumber Melon Agua Fresca if you are so inclined. Happy picnicking! (I think that’s a word.)
Tuna Pan Bagnat
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 3-4 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 anchovy fillets, chopped (*optional)
For the sandwich:
- 1 loaf ciabatta or similar bread with a crunchy crust
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 oz canned tuna, drained well (can be packed in oil or water)
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded & sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
- 3-4 tbsps pickled red onion (or just sliced red onion)
- 1-2 tsps capers
- 2 pepperoncini, thinly sliced
Instructions
To make the vinaigrette:
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In a small bowl whisk everything together until emulsified and set aside.
To assemble the sandwich:
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In a medium bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to the tuna and a little salt and pepper. Flake gently with a fork and set aside.
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Begin by slicing the ciabatta in half lengthwise. Drizzle the 1 tbsp of olive oil over both halves. Then drizzle about a tbsp of the vinaigrette over the two halves.
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Begin assembling on the bottom layer. Arrange about half of the basil leaves over the bread, followed by about half the cucumber, then the tuna, sliced olives, tomatoes, bell pepper and drizzle the rest of the vinaigrette. Then add the pickled onions, capers, pepperoncini, the rest of the cucumber and the rest of the basil leaves.
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Place the top half of the bread on the sandwich and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then with foil. Weight down the sandwich with something heavy like a skillet, books, or whatever you've got. (The NYTimes recipe suggests using your small child to sit on it but my small child was busy at the time.) Weight it down for 7 minutes, flip the sandwich over and do it for another 7 minutes.
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Then store the sandwich in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results and up to 24 hours. Slice in wedges and enjoy. (If only letting it sit for a couple hours, it can stay at room temp.)
Recipe Notes
*Try adding some arugula, sliced radish, sliced green bell peppers or sliced hard-boiled egg if you’d like.
*If you’re using a different crusty bread besides a ciabatta, it’s recommended to tear out some of the soft bread in the middle, after slicing the loaf, to make sort of a well for everything.
*The order in which I did this made sense to me, for keeping the bread at optimum texture, but you can assemble it however you’d like.
*While I think traditionally this is made with tuna packed in oil, I find it doesn’t make a difference and tuna in water, drained well, works great too.
