How to Make Pan Bagnat (Provençal Tuna Sandwich)

Host Bridget Lancaster makes a showstopping Pan Bagnat (Provençal Tuna Sandwich).
Get the recipe for Pan Bagnat: cooks.io/3uLiMzg
Buy our winning baking sheet: cooks.io/2OTFRd8
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
americastestkit...
/ americastestkitchen
/ testkitchen
/ testkitchen
/ testkitchen

[@Hollis_has_questions]

OMFG. That olive salad, that gorgeous baguette! I’m all about sandwiches, and pan bagnat is the ultimate picnic food. It makes me swoon. I can hear Piaf, and Non, je ne regrette rien!

[@g.anthonybenjamin281]

This looks soooooooooo good!

[@tommyg8146]

I made it.... and it is sooooo good! :)

[@bonniesimpson1636]

This is one of my husband's two favorite sandwiches. I get a million wife points when I make this for him. And because it's made to keep for a while it is perfect when he goes hiking for the day. Honestly if you make this sandwich for anyone you earn hero status.

[@shanestuart-ramirez429]

Impressive! REAL sandwich recipe! Love it! Rustic as it gets!

[@ackack612]

Oh C'MON! Without a doubt the best sandwich yet from ATK. I've never tried a Muffaletta with olive tapenade but now there are TWO sandwiches on my all time gotta try bucket list! Merry Christmas and THX!

[@DavidFobare]

The sauce here is essentially a tapenade.

[@ackack612]

@@DavidFobare yeah, kinda my point in ranking them together....a nicoise tapenade. But thx.

[@xjAlbert]

Bridget's version looks delicious! She uses eggs instead of the brie Jacques Pepin & Julia Child used in their classic 1999 version filmed in Julia's kitchen. I'd gladly make a meal of either recipe!!

[@stringzoflife]

That olive salad looks truly magnificent

[@sstace69]

Press it overnight in the fridge. It'll be so much better!

[@saragradwohl3697]

Had one of these in Nice earlier this month for the first time. Delicious, but this one looks amazing! I can’t wait to try making this…and then eating it!

[@cllibutti8711]

Merry Christmas. Love your channel. Thanks for all you do.

[@stevenmaxfield6103]

most mouthwatering sandwich ever.

[@maryjemisonMaryjay1936]

Merry Christmas 🎁🎄

[@gloriabell2864]

Margarine leaves? Never saw this. Looks mouth watering. Yum yum!!

[@ianharrison5998]

Marjoram, similar to oregano

[@stevekemble8911]

Wrapping sandwiches makes a huge difference. It is not done often enough.

[@nancyw4845]

Looks incredible 😋😋😋😋😋

[@TheHitechHobo]

I need to make this for my next family gathering.

[@nancycesarano5919]

Looks delicious.

[@willwjl]

It is an incredible recipe! I always get praises when I offer this to people!

[@truly4927]

I’ve had Alton Brown’s version and it’s good, but this one looks a lot better. Must try.

[@yazky69]

Bridget I love your recipes and presentation. Thank you so much for giving us such a good and simple way to make delicious food. Love from Lahore, Pakistan 🇵🇰

[@DavidFobare]

I made this a few weeks ago. Fantastic. One word of warning. It takes longer to prepare than the video implies. A lot longer. Worth it, but not on a regular basis. A once a year thing.

[@bonniesimpson1636]

I hear you. I call it the 3 hour sandwich 🥪 but my husband loses his mind for it so I do more than once a year but for sure it is special occasion.

[@DavidFobare]

@@bonniesimpson1636 I have to wait for my wife to leave town to make it. She’s not a fan of the olives. Just shopping for this is time consuming.

[@pq8935]

Can't wait to make it!! Love it!! 💚

[@sherrieshatzen3801]

I used to get beautiful sandwiches like this in Paris. They were called Sandwiches Tunisiens.They had Tuna, but many other varieties--chicken, meatless with eggs, meatless with vegetables. They were beautiful to look at & made an inexpensive & very fillng meal. I have tried to make them bakc in the States but they are never the same. I think it is 2 things: the bread in France is far superior to in the US because the wheat itself is quite different; the tuna in particular is far superior as the tuna available at an average grocery store in the States is mush when it comes out of the can whether packed in water or oil whereas in Europe the tuna is firm & more like a fillet.

[@hankf8723]

Tuna from Tunisia is sold on Amazon (pricey). For me we did not call it "sandwich tunisien" but rather "casse-croûte tunisien' bought at "l'épicerie du Djerbien".

[@strll3048]

Super awesome! Thank you and Merry Christmas.

[@JustAThought155]

I have NEVER seen a sandwich like that or made like that!!!😮! I’m in shock!!!😂😂😂😂! Weigh down the sandwich!!! Wow!!! Very gourmet! Merry Christmas!!!🎄🎁

[@kentborges5114]

THE FIRST TIME I SAID " WOW THIS SANDWICH IS DELICIOUS ", WAS AFTER I HAD A BITE OF THIS...YUM !

[@cyndywaskelisthecrowscall]

Certainly looks more appealing than a regular ol' tuna sandwich!

[@christinea1234]

This looks divine !! But I also know me and I know there's a little bit I wpuld change but this is a great inspiration to the best Tuna sandwitch and will so be making my version of it !!!!! I love America test kitchen and I just can not wot to make this Tuna sandwitch with my own little twist on a couple things !!

[@kathleensmith8365]

That looks absolutely delishes.it is definitely a keeper recipe.

[@monazaki7227]

Not all tuna is alike guys! Spanish tuna is fantastic though not cheap... this is amazing... thank you Bridget!

[@tinaamaral3883]

It looks sooooo delicious

[@davidc8694]

I want to make this now!

[@nolakillabeast]

In my region, pain bagnat is alwsys with a round and sesame seeds coated bread and I cannot imagine this sandwich without the sesame seeds.

[@tudyboldin4906]

Pan Bagnat is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. Thank you, Bridget, for showing me how to make it. I watch so many of your videos, and I have a quick question. You cut raw chicken on a wooden cutting board; how do you clean it so it's safe to use for other things?

[@ericfan9149]

I'm not a food scientist, but I'll reiterate what I've read. Although plastic cutting boards seem more hygienic than wood, wood is actually naturally anti-microbial and tests have shown that wooden cutting boards harbour less bacteria than plastic ones (especially if the plastic is finely scored with knife cuts). I believe washing a wooden cutting board under hot soapy water and then letting it dry is sufficient for keeping it clean.

[@tomstestkitchen]

Looks really good, no lemon juice for the tuna?

[@rachaelhicks8235]

Yum! Looks like summer.

[@richardstrada212]

It looks great.

[@debbycoley]

Looks so good!

[@skillsonian]

We were quite keen to give this a try as soon as we saw this video. So we went out and bought all the stuff and invested some time to make it for today's lunch. Followed the recipe and process exactly. How'd we like it? Um ... it's interesting, for sure. But there's just too much going on for us. Taste-wise it was sorta all over the place. It feels like a dozen flavors are all duking it out. I think I would have preferred to make this entire thing in salad form, where I could pick just one or two ingredients for each bite. We used really good tuna, then were disappointed to see the taste of it get drowned-out by the 16 other ingredients. Plus it was a bit of a mess physically. Take her seriously when she says to blot the tomatoes and to rinse and pat dry the capers and anchovies. Do whatever you can to keep the moisture level down. It was an interesting exercise, but I wouldn't make it again.

[@joralemonvirgincreche]

Eating a Seoul Train from Seoul Spice as I watch this. Bulgogi beef, corn, cukes, kale slaw, kimchi, creamy sriracha, crispy garlic, cilantro, scallions, roasted sesame seeds over rice.

[@515aleon]

A bet this would be esp wonderful with tuna steak kind of chopped up. I've made a tuna sandwich with homemade that way and it was amazing.

[@cbcooks]

I love this sandwich

[@BeachPeach2010]

I'm making this today for my European hubby. I think I'm gonna love this, who cares about him?! 😂

[@festerofest4374]

I don’t really even like canned tuna fish sandwiches much…. never have. But I want that one!!

[@gk6993]

Where I am it's lunchtime. I want this now

[@RobertPeters4674]

YUM, yes please! 😋🤤

[@brucecole4991]

That looks yummy Merry Christmas

[@user-cg2iq5qs2y]

She put more effort into a tuna sandwich, than my family does for a big dinner lol

[@nadinekore6308]

Pain Bagnat means Prisoner's bread... it's like a "Kitchen sink bread" where you put all ingredients of the fridge in... And it used to be made for prisoners back when prisoners were used as labor in France and in Provence which is the south next to (left of or west of) the French Riviera around my hometown Marseille 😊

[@TheHitechHobo]

Thanks for that bit of knowledge!

[@caucaren435]

It actually doesn't mean that at all... It literally means "bathed bread", as in soaked in olive oil / water in order to make it heavier and filling. Initially it was just water, since olive oil was expensive. As for the kitchen's sink idea, that's not true either since you're supposed to use the freshest ingredients. Nevertheless, the most outrageous act from that recipe is that she's not even using the round shaped bread. Qué vergonha!

[@nadinekore6308]

@@caucaren435 The bread is round and the word "bagnat' means prisoner, a pensioner of the "Bagne" in French, my native language. And it is called that way because in the "bagne" people would put whatever was available in the kitchen that day. That's history, let it go.

[@caucaren435]

@@nadinekore6308 lol un bon client allez c'est parti. l'origine de bagnat (ou bien "banhat" en norme classique pour le Niçois, la langue de ma ville de naissance...) veut dire baigné ou mouillé. Maintenant au lieu de m'apprendre la gastronomie de mon enfance va te renseigner sur Google ou va faire un tour à Nice c'est pas loin. allez vai fai tirà, ès aco. Baïeta, let it go! Faccia de cougourdoun

[@nadinekore6308]

@@caucaren435 Genre! Comme si Nice c t... une ville! Le bagne c une prison. C différent du bain qui est le bain! Deux mots peuvent se ressembler et ne pas avoir la même signification! Si tu es français... tu le sais! Allé... Basta!

[@XyzO0o2]

Wow, good tips

[@jessstuart7495]

Anyone else's mouth watering after watching this video?

[@maryjemisonMaryjay1936]

Tuna 🍣 yum 😋

[@Outlaw-Creative-Junior1]

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BLESSINGS & SEASONS GREETINGS TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! TRY TO HAVE A THE MOST FANTASTIC DAY AND NIGHT! HAVE A TRULY BLESSED DAY and NIGHT! GOD BLESS YOU! ❤️❤️

[@cardinallavegeri1604]

Uhmmmmmm crazy stuff I am starving 😝😝😝😝

[@gloriabell2864]

My German mother made this type of meat with chopped bacon, celery, onions. Browned the roll ups in sweet butter first. Yum, yum, yum!! Great to make a sauce from the scrapings.😎🇺🇸

[@pavelow235]

That sandwich does look tasty. I wonder why I have never tried one.

[@DavidFobare]

Because it’s a lot of work. Delicious work, but work nonetheless.

[@alfredopons618]

1/4/24 Bonjour, Bridget. Just accessed this video. Well done and appreciated the posting. Will attempt to assemble a reasonable facsimile. New Year greetings to you and your loved ones from San Francisco! 'Salut!'

[@whitemailprivilege2830]

Being from San Francisco is nothing to be proud of.

[@vanessablanc2074]

Merci ! 🇫🇷🥖❤

[@margaretstokely9016]

YUMMO!

[@wendelllipscomb9744]

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! LOVE TUNA AND LOVE THIS IDEA

[@sharonavictoria7155]

Yum Yum Yummy !

[@b_uppy]

Not a fan of tuna sammies. This looks GOOD. Be hard to find this sandwich at a restaurant

[@chrisbuckley1785]

There's a real fancy restaurant around here called Subway. Does tuna right.... 😝😝😝

[@b_uppy]

@@chrisbuckley1785 Lol

[@grappetsail]

Street food. In cities people eat the specialties of the region

[@b_uppy]

@@grappetsail Think this is more complicated than a street vendor can do...

[@grappetsail]

You might be right

[@michaelbaumgardner2530]

You would new a computer to process the flavor in that sandwich...Wow.

[@maryl.8281]

Yum!

[@shadimurwi7170]

Wow

[@dtopa7524]

This looks delicious but I don't think anything beats a good Nicoise salad.

[@tonyterryjohnson8603]

Looks delicious. A healthy layer of Muenster cheese would be on my sandwich.

[@annek1226]

Why does this look so familiar?! I swear this is a repeat! A delicious repeat but a repeat none the less!

[@edouardmehlman2997]

me discovering a new use case for dutch oven 😳

[@optionout]

Love the "bread trough" idea. Almost keto. LOL..

[@DavidFobare]

You really do need to make the trough.

[@michaelkurtz1967]

Winner winner. Forget about that chicken dinner. Regards

[@jonaslundholm]

Shout out for not using a super perfect looking red onion. Respect.

[@jeffcantor3298]

I could not find the nicoise olives and substituted kalamata olives as was suggested online. The sandwich was still quite good but the olive taste completely overpowered just about everything else. Is there either a better substitute olive to use or perhaps even something other than olives to allow the great tuna taste to shine through?

[@guinabells]

🙋🏾‍♀️👏🏾Looks yummy..but I'm not a big fan of tuna...thanks for sharing ...ky

[@btbingo]

If your experience with tuna is not with tuna in a jar then you should try it.

[@David-qd3ff]

Why would you offer a link to the recipe only find find out that you need to become a member.

[@sassyt1545]

Fresh marjoram is difficult to find in many places. If you gave an alternative, that would be helpful.

[@tobehonest7541]

#GURLLLLLL this takes too long ... i aint got all day ...def not a short order meal

[@ChristopherJones-lt3le]

I don’t think a toddler would sit long enough to weigh down my sandwich 😂

[@randommcranderson5155]

Le Dagwood

[@Lesciels-sc7bl]

Thanks for pan bagnat pub. But it's not the real one, I leave in Nice ( France) . 1 round bread roll of 20 cm in Pan Bagnat 3 beautiful tomatoes some radishes some beans green two pepper artichokes 2 small fresh onions "cebettes" 1 small branch of celery 1 green pepper salad 1 hard-boiled egg 1 anchovy fillet 1/2 can of tuna in oil some black olives from Nice Basil Salt pepper. That the real one👌 Olive oil

[@julienbaudelet3340]

No basil artichokes and salad in the original recipe 😉. Of course this adds are accepted by lot of people but not the "ultras" defender of the real recipe. Salad its considered as almost a crime! I'm from Nice by the way

[@michaelboso9355]

Trying it again and again! Mwahahaha!

[@markpettigrew542]

Bellingham Washington has Avenue Bread, which looks better for bread than Safeway.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Who's going to wait an hour to eat that sammy?

[@keetrandling4530]

Sooo, You use tuna packed in oil, drained. Then, you use EVOO. Why waste the tuna flavored oil?

[@msr1116]

Possibly to prevent an overload of tuna flavor, already a strongly flavored fish. Other salad recipes I've seen calling for oil-packed tuna always state to drain it-- but that's more likely done to avoid oiliness.

[@DavidFobare]

I couldn’t justify the cost of premium Spanish tuna packed in EVOO in a jar. So I used Star Kist in water. After draining added EVOO.

[@msr1116]

@@DavidFobare ....the lowest i found was about $11 a jar....so it's the trusty 99¢ a can name brand stuff on sale for me too.

[@DavidFobare]

@@msr1116 I hope to try it with the expensive tuna at some point. But it’s already an expensive sandwich.

[@tonymurray814]

Would brown rice vinegar be ok?

[@DavidFobare]

Having made this recently, I don’t think that type of vinegar would complement the other flavors.

[@IndridCool54]

😋👍🏼

[@tonybucca5667]

Pan bagnat means wet bread

[@cgourin]

As much as baguette makes great sandwiches starting with the classic "jambon beurre" the pan bagnat needs a soft bun brioche like, but not to sweet; of course if you use baguette don't remove the inside that would be a crime and pan bagnat coming from Nice no Dijon mustard that comes from Dijon!

[@RepentImmediately]

Anybody have ideas for an olive substitute?...I don't care for them....artichoke hearts, maybe?

[@jekku4688]

Bridget - missed opportunity to call it an EGGsquisite sammy!

[@Nocturne22]

I'd put some lettuce in there - hopefully it doesn't sog the whole thing out!

[@acbeaumo]

Not using the oil that the tuna was packed in is a crime.

[@lonahansen4990]

KZbin gave me an advertisement from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. Oops.

[@genehendrix1847]

You really should have added a bowl filled with olive oil so you can dip your sandwich in it before every bite 😂

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Yuck

[@zoltankaparthy9095]

Looks like a tuna muffaletta, or the other way around

[@djilyaz]

What...no mayo??

[@julienbaudelet3340]

Not at all! For us, people of South of France, putting mustard, mayo or salad into the real pan bagnat is considered as a crime!!!! 😎

[@ExtraDan]

>no cucumbers on a tuna sub what are trying to sell here!!!!

[@lylewalter241]

Hello

[@gregjohnson720]

Are you sure that it is called PAN Bagnat or PAIN Bragnat?

[@ThuLe-eh1xe]

I would put mozzarella cheese in it instead of egg. Eggs smell.

[@DavidFobare]

Then you’re cooking the eggs WAY too long.

[@ThuLe-eh1xe]

I would use arugula and mozarella cheese instead tomatoes and eggs.

[@DavidFobare]

@@ThuLe-eh1xe Tomato is a surprisingly good match in this sandwich. I do wonder whether the marjoram gets lost amongst the strong flavors.