Pan Bagnat

Method

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1. Cut the loaf in half horizontally and pull out some of the soft crumb from each half to make room.

   Mark done

2. Rub the cut faces hard with the garlic and then with the cut tomato, pressing so the juice soaks in.

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3. Whisk the oil and vinegar and brush both faces generously with it.

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4. Layer the filling into the bottom half in this order: tomatoes first and salted, then pepper, onion, beans, tuna, egg, olives, anchovies and basil.

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5. Season between the layers and put the lid on.

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6. Wrap the whole loaf tightly in cling film, put it on a plate, and weight it with something heavy.

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7. Press at least 120 minutes, refrigerated, before cutting it into wedges.

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Chef’s Tips

• Press it. Two hours minimum, and longer is better.
• Rub the bread with garlic and tomato before anything else.
• No lettuce. It turns to slime.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A glass of Provence rosé
• A beach
• Cornichons

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated and pressed for up to a day; it improves for the first six hours.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.