Best 3 Pan Bagna Recipes

PAN BAGNA (PROVENCAL STUFFED SANDWICH LOAF)

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the olives, red peppers, scallions, tomatoes, anchovies, capers, parsley, and watercress. Remove the top third of the loaf of bread. Remove the soft interior bread crumb from the loaf, leaving 1/2-inch shell, and reserve 1 cup packed bread crumbs/chunks. Make the dressing: In a food processor mince fine the parsley, watercress, and garlic. Add the reserved bread crumbs, lemon juice, and anchovies, and mince the mixture fine. With the motor running, add the oil in a stream and blend the dressing until it is emulsified. Stir 1/4 cup of the dressing into the olive mixture and spread the remaining dressing on the inside of the bread shell. Mound the filling into the shell, packing it, put the loaf back together and wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap. Let the sandwich stand, weighted with a 2-pound weight (I have found a large dictionary or other heavy book works well here), for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, cut the loaf into 2-inch slices with a serrated knife.

PAN BAGNA

Steps:

• Halve the bread horizontally, hollow out the top and the bottom, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shells, and brush the bottom shell with 1 tablespoon of the oil. In a blender combine the remaining 3 tablespoons oil with the garlic, the vinegar, and salt to taste and blend the dressing until it is emulsified. Spread the goat cheese in the bottom shell and top it with the olives, the arugula, the radishes, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the radishes with one third of the dressing, top them with the tuna and salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle half the remaining dressing over the tuna. Top the tuna with the tomatoes, the basil, and salt and pepper to taste, drizzle the mixture with the remaining dressing, and fit the top shell over it. Wrap the pan bagna tightly in plastic wrap and put it in a shallow baking pan. Top the pan bagna with a baking sheet and a large gratin dish filled with several 1-pound weights and chill it for 1 hour. The pan bagna may be made 6 hours in advance and kept covered and chilled. Serve the pan bagna cut into 2-inch slices.

PAN BAGNA

Steps:

• Halve bread horizontally. Pull out the soft interior, to within 1-inch of the crust; discard interior or reserve for another use. Rub the inside of bread all over with garlic, then drizzle with oil and vinegar.
• Cover the bottom half of the bread with onion and tomato slices. Top with anchovies and pepper strips. Evenly distribute tuna and basil.
• Spread the top half of bread with minced olives, and place it olive-side down over filled bottom half. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place on a large plate, and top with a second plate. Weight with several heavy cans. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, cut into 6 to 8 wedges or slices.