While I’m sure there’s a tourist board or local association that claims there’s one true recipe for pan bagnat, I think the true spirit of the sandwich is something looser. At least that’s what I’ve gotten from spending time in Nice and doing a bit of reading.

Even among the locals, there’s a lot of debate about whether a true pan bagnat includes tuna, anchovies, or both. At least in this instance, I take the maximalist view that more is better.

In Provençal, pan bagnat roughly translates to “bathed bread.” Don’t skimp on the olive oil and vinegar.

Ingredients

  • Medium bread roll
  • Olive oil
  • Handful pitted olives, preferably niçoise
  • Handful basil
  • Tomato, thinly sliced
  • Tuna in olive oil
  • 1-2 anchovy fillets
  • Egg, hard cooked, roughly chopped
  • Thinly sliced vegetables (e.g., radish, green pepper, artichoke hearts)
  • Red wine vinegar

Method

Slice the bread in half horizontally. Then remove some of the crumb to create more space for the filling.

Add the ingredients in this order to the bottom half of the bread:

  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Olives
  • Basil
  • Tomato
  • Tuna
  • Anchovies
  • Egg
  • Vegetables
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Then drizzle red wine vinegar onto the inside of the top half of the bread, and close the sandwich.