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September 2007
Recipe
Provencal Tomato Sandwich
(Pan Bagnat)
Pan
Bagnat, or ‘pain baigné’, means “bathed bread” and comes from
around Nice. I often think of it as salad Niçoise in a sandwich
and, like salad Niçoise, it can include all sorts of ingredients
such as hard boiled eggs, gherkin pickles, sliced sweet onion or
shallot with the mandatory tomato, tuna, olives, garlic, capers,
and anchovy. Everything is layered in a baguette or a roll, then
drizzled with an olive oil vinaigrette, wrapped, and pressed so
the tomato juices and flavorings meld in one glorious salad. Hot
weather food at its finest!
Serves 4
-
1
baguette of bread
-
2 hard
boiled eggs, sliced
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1 can
(170g/6oz)tuna in water, drained and flaked
-
3-4
fillets anchovy, chopped
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1
shallot, chopped
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85g/3oz/1/2 cup pitted black or green olives, chopped
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1
tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped
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2
large tomatoes (about 330g/¾lb), cored and sliced
-
2-3
gherkin pickles, thinly sliced (optional)
-
For
the Vinaigrette Dressing
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3
tablespoons red wine vinegar
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1
teaspoon Dijon mustard
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1
garlic clove, very finely chopped
-
salt
and pepper
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125
ml/4 fl oz/½ cup extra virgin olive oil
-
Make the vinaigrette dressing: Whisk the vinegar with the
mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until mixed. Gradually whisk in
the oil, starting drop by drop, then pouring in a slow stream,
whisking constantly so that the dressing emulsifies and thickens
slightly. Slit the baguette lengthwise and pull out some of the
crumb with your fingers. Brush both insides of the baguette
generously with vinaigrette dressing.
- To
fill the sandwich: Line up the sliced eggs in the bottom of the
baguette and top with flaked tuna. Sprinkle with some of the
anchovy, shallot, olives, and capers and spoon over some
dressing. Top with tomato, overlapping the slices, add the
pickles and sprinkle with the remaining anchovy, shallot, olives
and capers. Moisten with more dressing. It’s at this stage that
I assess the situation. Perhaps all the dressing is not needed
as the tomatoes are extra-juicy. Do they need a sprinkling of
salt and pepper? How about some herbs-- I would say yes, but
they are not traditional. So do what you like and make the
sandwich your own.
-
Add the upper half of baguette and press it down well. Wrap
tightly in plastic wrap and weight the baguette down so the
tomato juices permeate and soften the bread. Bricks are a bit
much, but a couple of roasting pans with a heavy saucepan in
each can be just right. Leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
Carry the Pan Bagnat with you still wrapped, and unwrap and
slice it for serving.
Getting Ahead: It is essential to make Pan Bagnat at least an
hour ahead so flavors mellow and the bread soaks up the tomato
juices. It keeps well up to 4 hours, and no chilling is necessary,
perfect picnic fare.
On
the Side: Some goats’ cheese, that does well in the sun, with
seasonal fruits for dessert.
In the Glass:
A chilled Provençal rosé.
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