pan bagnat.

My first thought as I bit into this beautiful sandwich?

Oh. My. God.

I am in love with this sandwich. I could eat it every day. Or, at least, every weekend.

There’s something very special about pan bagnat. First of all, it’s a salade Niçoise sandwiched between two halves of a French loaf. How can you go wrong? You’ve heard it before – it’s my absolute favorite salad, and though you can make one in any number of ways, here I opted to take the classic approach.

The sandwich gets its name from “pan banhat,” which means “wet bread” in the Provençal dialect spoken in and around Nice. The bread is wet because the salad is doused in any combination of olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar before it is placed in the bread. The bread then soaks in all of the moisture, swelling up with all of those delicious flavors. Lastly, the sandwich is pressed, causing all of those salty, briney, and undeniably fresh flavors to meld together one last time.

I took a few liberties with the recipe I used below, and you can feel free to do the same. That’s what I love about this sandwich: It can be tweaked endless ways. You could use arugula leaves instead of the basil – though I don’t know if I’d recommend it, as I really loved the basil – and many opt to add bell pepper.

It’s light, yet totally satisfying  – and quite elegant, as far as sandwiches are concerned. I can’t wait to re-create this masterpiece of Provençal flavors all summer long.

Bottle of preferred rosé NOT optional.

Pan Bagnat

Adapted from Bon Appétit

• 1 1-pound loaf French bread, unsliced {either a long one, or you could use a circular French boule – though you may need two depending on how big they are}
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 2 6-ounce cans tuna packed in olive oil, undrained
• 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted assorted brine-cured olives {I used tiny Niçoise olives and left them whole}
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• Juice from half a lemon
• Splash red wine vinegar
• 2-3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Slice bread in half lengthwise. Using hands, remove interior of loaf – just like “scooping” a bagel. Brush interior of both halves with olive oil and line with basil leaves.

Combine undrained tuna, tomatoes, olives, onion, lemon juice, and vinegar in a bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture evenly into bottom bread shell. Top mixture with eggs, cover with top half of bread and wrap tightly with plastic. Top the sandwich with a heavy baking pan and place heavy cans inside to weigh it down. Let stand at least 20 minutes.

Unwrap pan bagnat and cut into slices. Place on platter, garnish with basil sprigs, and serve.