French Food Friday - Pan Bagnat

photo and recipe from here

As soon as French Boyfriend enters our kitchen, he asks what are we going to eat? As you know eating is taken very seriously in France and our lives revolve around food.

The weather here has been fabulous and it is great picnic weather. This recipe is a great picnic recipe but you need to be organised and make the sandwiches the night before as it takes time for the flavours to develop.

It really is salade nicoise in a bun and it is very tasty.

serves 4

Ingredients

2 plum tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced crosswise

Kosher salt, to taste

1 (5-oz.) can olive oil-packed tuna, drained

4 scallions, thinly sliced

¹⁄₂ small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced into 2" lengths

¹⁄₃ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 (7-inch–round) rustic bread loaf, split (about 20 oz.)

1 small bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced crosswise

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise

2 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced crosswise

8 oil-cured anchovies, drained

10 salt-cured black olives, pitted and halved

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Sprinkle tomato slices liberally with salt and transfer to a colander; set aside to drain for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, break up tuna with a fork and stir in scallions and bell pepper; set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together oil and mustard; set dressing aside. Scoop the insides from the bread loaf and discard or reserve for another use. Place tomatoes evenly over bottom of bread and then top with fennel and cucumbers; spread tuna mixture over top, and then top with egg slices, anchovies, and olives. Pour dressing evenly over ingredients, and season with salt and pepper; cover with top of bread, pressing lightly to compact.

Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet; top with another baking sheet and weight with a cast-iron skillet. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice into quarters to serve.

bon vendredi à tous, Leeann x