Pan Bagnat
Ingredients
- 3 eggs egg
- 12 ounces ripe tomatoes – sliced (~3 medium tomatos)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3/4 cups red onion – thinly sliced (~0.5 medium red onions)
- 3/4 cups green bell pepper – thinly sliced (~0.5 medium green bell peppers)
- 1 cups cucumber – thinly sliced (~0.5 medium cucumbers)
- 12 ounces oil-packed tuna – drained and flaked
- 6 fillets anchovy – patted dry
- 1/2 cups Niçoise olives – pitted and halved
- 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves – torn
- 1 loaf round country bread (boule)
- 1 clove garlic – halved
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1.
Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 10–12 minutes. Drain, cool under cold water, peel, and slice into rounds.
- 2.
Core and slice the tomatoes. Thinly slice the red onion, green bell pepper, and cucumber. In a bowl, season the tomato slices with 0.5 tsp kosher salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper; let stand 5–10 minutes until they release some juice.
- 3.
Drain and flake the oil-packed tuna. Pat the anchovy fillets dry. Pit and halve the Niçoise olives if not already done. Tear the basil leaves.
- 4.
Split the round country bread (boule) horizontally and, if needed, pull out a little crumb to make room. Rub the cut sides with the halved garlic clove. Drizzle 4 tbsp of the extra-virgin olive oil evenly over both cut sides and let it soak for 5 minutes; reserve the remaining 2 tbsp for finishing.
- 5.
Spoon the collected tomato juices onto the bottom half of the bread, then layer the tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, cucumber, tuna, anchovy fillets, egg slices, and Niçoise olives. Scatter the basil leaves over the top. Drizzle with the reserved olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper.
- 6.
Close the sandwich, press firmly, and wrap tightly in parchment or plastic. Weight with a skillet or heavy plate and rest 30–60 minutes until the bread is well saturated but still holds its shape. Cut into 4 wedges and serve.
Pan Bagnat is the emblematic sandwich of Nice, a portable cousin of salade niçoise built on crusty country bread bathed in good olive oil. Its layers deliver a bright, savory balance: silky oil-packed tuna, briny anchovy and olives, juicy tomatoes, crunchy peppers and cucumber, sweet onion, and rich slices of hard-boiled egg. Pressing the loaf melds flavors and lets the bread drink in the juices, yielding a hearty, picnic-perfect bite with a satisfying contrast of textures.
Rooted in the markets of the French Riviera, pan bagnat takes its name from the Niçard dialect for “bathed bread,” highlighting the defining olive oil soak. It emerged as a thrifty way to repurpose day-old bread and seasonal produce, reflecting the olive groves, fishing boats, and gardens of Provence. Over time it became a local staple sold in boulangeries and beach kiosks, prized for its simplicity, portability, and faithful expression of Niçoise flavors.