A huge sandwich, made with a big round bread bun, stuffed beyond comprehension, with a filling of tuna flakes, slices of boiled egg, tomato, green pepper, scallions, radishes, artichoke heart, celery, with broad beans, olives, anchovies, grated tomato pulp, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and basil leaves … it’s a “salade niçoise” in a bun !

How dare I propose “my” version !? Let me explain. This recipe isn’t for the proud citizens of Nice, who master and defend their heritage recipe with no outside interference being possible. But I just came back from Nice and I ate quite a few of these and analyzed and studied them too. So here I am, for all of “us” or the “others” who would like to try to reproduce it at home. This is my slightly reinterpreted version, and I hope you’ll try it one day.

PAN BAGNAT means soaked or bathed bread. It means that these breads, were basically filled/stuffed with all the ingredients of a SALADE NICOISE and they were better if the bread was a bit stale, to absorb any juices released by the ingredients. 

It was often prepared in advance, with part of the crumb scraped out, to make more space for the fillings and slathered with a spread to soften and flavor the sandwich. It is often weighed down and/or wrapped hours before to become softer and soggier (but I have an aversion to soft, soggy bread) so my version is modified, without wrapping, weighing down or being soggy and I also only scrape out some crumb, because I made these breads myself (see recipe here).

This sandwich combines different proteins, vegetables and aromatics, that are either soft, mushy, crunchy and crispy, all in one big bread wrapping.

Either way, it’s a delicious two-handed sandwich and a complete meal, that might get a bit messy as you try to eat it, but it’s definitely worth it … :)