The opening day of Boating Season is this weekend. In Seattle we celebrate with crew races through the “cut”, a noon cannon blast and then a parade of decorated boats cruising through a “log boom” lined with hundreds of boats and even more people, some of which have been out there celebrating for days!
In addition to boating, I feel like this day kicks off a season of casual alfresco dining and pik~niking. I’m starting to work on my traditional meal for the day, a Pan Bagnet. I’m pickling some red onions, curating all of the ingredients and even prepping PUFF {my sourdough starter} in hopes of baking my own sourdough ciabatta this year!! If I really get into it I may even blend up some saffron aioli.
A Pan Bagnet is a luscious way to serve a crowd this time of year. The word “sandwich” doesn’t really do justice to the hearty, flavorful, fresh tasting dish. In between these slabs of crusty bread is a symphony of flavors and textures that have had a chance to “bathe” together {the name translates into soaked or bathed bread} weighted down by a few bottles of chilled rosé to create a harmonious bite that will make your mouth sing.
This can be one of those great “what’s in the refrigerator” dishes, you can make modifications based on your tastes and what you have on hand, but essentially, it is a Salade Nicoise on bread, lots of fresh vegetables and herbs, some tangy and marinated, hard boiled eggs, tuna and sometimes anchovies. The key thing to think about when making this meal is to build a complexity of flavors and textures. I’ve shared some of my prior Pan Bagnet creations before, click on the links below to see these other variations.
But, here’s the latest version. After the slicing the Essential Bakery Ciabatta loaf lengthwise I dug out part of the soft spongy bread {but saved it for snacking} from the top section. I laid the bottom half on a large piece of saran wrap to capture any delicious morsels that go astray and to make the wrapping process easier.
I spread some mayonnaise on the bottom section and on it distributed a layer of sliced Persian Cucumbers drizzled with some Splendid Vinaigrette
next, a layer of sliced ripe tomatoes, some ribbons of basil leaves and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
In my refrigerator I usually have some “pickled” red onions, really just red onions soaking in red wine vinegar. The vinegars softens the edge of the onion flavor, and also enhances it with a bright, tangy goodness.
So, the next layer was a nice tangy concoction of capers, sliced marinated artichoke hearts, slices of Manzanilla Olives and generous layer of the pickled red onions plus a few extra splashes of the red wine vinegar, to keep building the flavors.
Next came the rich protein portion, slices of hard boiled eggs
with another slather of Splendid Vinaigrette were the starter.
When it comes to tuna, I prefer to use Italian Tuna, or tuna packed in olive oil, but really any tuna will do. If you use tuna packed in water you may want to toss it in some olive oil or Splendid Vinaigrette, just to make it more moist and flavorful.
I love the big meaty fillets that emerge from the jar, and the silky coating of olive oil.
Next up, the fresh layer, torn leaves of red leaf lettuce, more of the chiffonade of basil leaves and a thick blanket of chopped fresh parsley.
But let’s not stop there, how about another layer of crunchy cucumbers drizzled with Splendid Vinaigrette for an extra punch of refreshing crispness?
A smear of mayo in the crevices of the hallowed out top layer, and we are ready to close the deal.
This is where the magic comes in, here is about 8 inches of fresh, flavorful, crunchy, chewy, rich, tangy goodness
that will be compressed to about 2 inches.
The lid goes on
and then it is tightly wrapped in saran.
Then I put it in a basket with ice packs and a tea towel beneath the sandwich and bottles of chilled rosé on top of it, plus a cookbook or two.
A couple of hours later, it is ready to be devoured.
Here are some other versions to whet your appetite…
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| Pan Bagnet, perfect picnic fare |
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| Pan Bagnet |
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| Weighty options, Pan Bagnet |
Bon Appetite!
YUM! I used to make a similar sandwich but have not lately. I am going to revisit this for a baby shower I am having in September for an Italian bride. I am sharing this on facebook!
Cindy ~ it would be a great piece for a shower, and I'm sure you could make it with an Italian flair! Thank you for sharing! ~ebh
Beyond delicious!! I may have to steal this recipe!!
It’s like salad nicoise in a sandwich.
Tu as tout a fait raison, susan. J’espere en avoir un sur la plage un jour bientöt!