Pan Bagnat Recipe
Ari Weinzweig, founder of Zingerman’s, passed along this recipe for his favorite picnic nosh: “Pan bagnat is the classic sandwich eaten on the beach in Nice. The key is to get a good crusty roll that will hold up to the oil, because the longer you let pan bagnat sit, the more the flavors soak into the bread, and the better the sandwich.”
What to buy: Look for good tuna, especially something from the Mediterranean.
- 1 crusty French roll
- High-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (3-ounce) can oil-packed Mediterranean tuna
- 3/4 ounce pitted Niçoise olives (about 6 olives)
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 basil leaves
- Sliced red bell pepper
- Red wine vinegar
- Sea salt
- Slice the bread, brush it with olive oil, then top one of the slices with tuna, olives, red onion, basil leaves, bell pepper, a drizzle of red wine vinegar, a bit of sea salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. (For a variation, use tapenade instead of olives.) Close the sandwich, wrap it well, and head for the blanket.
Beverage pairing: Commanderie de la Bargemone, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé, France. A French seaside sandwich deserves the ultimate French seaside wine, and these two both come from roughly the same region. A good rosé should be crisp and fruity, but finish savory and dry. This one does just that, and its flavors and zing will hit all the notes of the sweet tuna, sharp olives, basil, and bell pepper in the sandwich.
Can anyone give me the recipe for Pan bagnat that Jacques Pepin made on Cooking with Julia (Child). All videos have been pulled on the web. He used 3 or so different seafoods and white wine.
Pain Bagnat is a fabulous sandwich, but if you're ordering it in Provence or the Cote d'Azur, watch out! It's definitely NOT always made with tuna. Could be anchovies, or could be no meat at all. And one yummy one I had in Chateauneuf du Pape had potatoes in it!
There's also NO cheese in either it or Salade Nicoise, from which it is descended.
For True Pan bagnat, you have to put the sandwich under a brick of weight in the fridge overnight. Also, instead of red wine vinegar, a shallot red wine vinagrette is better.
A sprinkle of pepper helps.
I prefer anchovies (just a few) to tuna, and a glob or two of creamy cheese, like double creme or maybe a good goat cheese.