Pan bagnat means bathed bread in the old dialect of Nice, and the bath is olive oil. The sandwich is essentially salade niçoise packed into a round country roll and weighed down until the juices of the tomatoes and the oil soak into the crumb. Fishermen and dock workers on the Riviera ate it for breakfast; today it is sold from kiosks along the coast and packed for every beach, boat and hillside along the way to Le Castellet and Circuit Paul Ricard.

It is one of the rare sandwiches that is better made ahead. The pressing that ruins most picnics is exactly what makes this one work, and it travels in a cool bag without complaint. The people of Nice keep strict rules about what belongs inside, and lettuce, mayonnaise and cooked vegetables are not on the list.

The eggs

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs

The dressing

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

The sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 round crusty bread rolls
• 3 ripe medium tomatoes
• 2 cans (5 oz / 140 g each) tuna in olive oil
• 1 small green bell pepper
• 3 spring onions
• 6 radishes
• 8 anchovy fillets in oil
• 1/3 cup (50 g) Niçoise olives
• 1 small bunch fresh basil

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