This recipe is pretty high brow for the foods I normally would make. I stumbled on the recipe and gave it a try. All I can say is WoW! Just give this Pan Bagnat with Fennel a try before you say no way.

This sandwich gets better and better the longer it sits (okay, to a point); assemble it after breakfast and eat it when you’ve worked up an appetite.

Preparation

Ingredients

  • ½ fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
  • ½ cup mixed pitted olives, chopped
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped drained capers
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Assembly

  • 1 Persian or ¼ English hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 2 6.7-ounce cans olive oil-packed tuna, drained
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 12-inch-long ciabatta loaf, halved lengthwise
  • 3 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled, sliced
  • 2 cups arugula

Fennel And Olives

  • Toss fennel, olives, oil, vinegar, capers, and red pepper flakes in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag; season with salt and pepper.
  • Do Ahead: Fennel-olive mixture can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Assembly

  • Toss fennel-olive mixture with cucumber and tuna in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Let sit, tossing occasionally, 10 minutes.
  • Scoop out inside from top half of bread; discard (or save for a snack!). Layer bottom half of bread with tuna mixture, then top with eggs and arugula. Close up the sandwich.
  • Place a large heavy skillet or pot on top of the sandwich to weigh down and let sit at room temperature, turning once, until evenly pressed, about 2 hours (if making the sandwich at home, or storing in a cooler while you hike, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap before you press it).
  • Slice pan bagnat into wedges just before serving.

Original Recipe by Chris Morocco Photograph by Kyle Johnson

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William Connor

As the Editor, William is responsible for all the good, the bad, the ugly and the indifferent that happens at 4WAAM. William brings a wide range of experience to this role. He also wields a freely shared...

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