Spicy Pan Bagnat with Yellowfin Tuna

Spicy Pan Bagnat with Yellowfin Tuna brings the tuna sandwich to a whole new level with a tangy dressing, veggies, and tender tuna fillets.

This post is sponsored by King Oscar | Thank you for supporting the brands I trust.

A Tuna Sandwich on a Whole New Level.

If this is your first time hearing about pan bagnat, your vision of the tuna sandwich is about to change forever. Pan bagnat is next level with its multiple layers of flavor. This sandwich is stacked with goodies, including briny olives, fresh veggies and, in my version here, crisp jalapeños. Though jalapeños aren’t part of a traditional pan bagnat, I wanted to compliment King Oscar’s Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Jalapeños, which is the tuna I chose for this glorious sandwich.

What Is Pan Bagnat? Here’s What’s in This Sandwich.

The short of it? The pan bagnat is a tuna sandwich seen as a specialty in Nice, France. It’s sort of a riff off of the salade Niçoise. But the proper way to introduce this messy yet gorgeous sandwich would be to list all of the ingredients so you can imagine every drool-worthy bite. There’s definitely a lot going on here with the dressed up olive and onion blend, vegetables, and proteins. I’ve swapped the usual Dijon mustard out for a nice old fashioned stone ground mustard, and I’ve included thinly sliced jalapeños.

What’s in the dressing:

• Garlic
• Capers
• Red wine vinegar
• Stone ground mustard
• Fresh basil
• Red onion
• Olives (I like to use both kalamata and castelvetrano)
• Jalapeños from the KO jar of tuna
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

And for the sandwich:

• French baguette
• King Oscar’s Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Jalapeños
• Eggs
• Tomato
• Roasted red peppers
• Jalapeño

Why King Oscar’s Tuna Is the Perfect Tuna for Pan Bagnat.

When a recipe boasts big flavors and fresh ingredients the way pan bagnat does, quality is everything. If you cop out on quality, it can kill the dish. King Oscar’s tuna guarantees an enjoyable bite every time. Unlike most fish in the canned seafood aisle, this sustainable yellowfin tuna is packed in extra virgin olive oil as tender meaty fillets, not flakes. The jalapeño variation I chose for this recipe includes gourmet green jalapeño peppers in the jar, which I’ve added into the olive mixture for extra oomph.

How to Make This Spicy Pan Bagnat With Yellowfin Tuna.

The Pan Bagnat is a bit of a process as far as sandwiches go, but it’s SO worth it. And unlike most ‘wiches, it can be even tastier the next day once the dressing and toppings seep into the thick crusty bread. Here’s what you’ll do to make this delicious pan bagnat:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, and capers. Add the onions, olives, and the jalapeños from the tuna jar. Stir to coat, and set the bowl aside for about 10 minutes to let everything marinate.
2. After 10 minutes, mix in the basil, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
3. Slice the baguette lengthwise, and spread the olive and onion mixture over the inside of both halves of the baguette.
4. Top one half with the sliced tomatoes, roasted peppers, sliced eggs, tuna, and sliced jalapeños.
5. Give the tuna-topped side of the sandwich a drizzle of olive oil, and hit it with some salt and pepper.
6. Close the sandwich, and let it sit for about 10 minutes so the dressing from the olive and onion mixture can seep into the bread a bit.
7. When you’re ready to serve, cut the sandwich in half (see my tips and tricks below) and serve.

Equipment You’ll Need:

• Sharp knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Wooden spoon or Spatula
• Microplane
• Mandoline
• Serrated knife

Recipe Tips + Tricks.

1. You could swap the stone ground mustard out for Dijon if you prefer.
2. Use any mix of olives you like! I always opt for 1/2 cup of castelvetrano and 1/2 cup of kalamata, but you can create your own blend.
3. Instead of cutting the sandwich from the top and pressing downward, slightly tilt the sandwich back and cut from the side of the crust into the opening to the sandwich, that way you’re not pressing down and causing all of the ingredients to spill out. You could also wrap the sandwich tightly in Butcher’s paper or parchment, and then cut into it to keep everything intact.
4. For the eggs, I prefer soft-boiled, but traditionally the recipe calls for hard-boiled. Go with your preference.
5. Instead of using red onion, you could use shallots.
6. If you can’t find King Oscar’s Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Jalapeños at your local grocer, it’s available on Amazon. But any of their other varieties of tuna would work swimmingly.
7. If you have any leftover sandwich, wrap it up and pop it in the fridge for the next day. The flavors will seep into the bread nicely, but the bread will still have a crusty top if using a fresh French baguette. You could even make this a day ahead of time.

Other Tuna Recipes You’ll Love:

• 20-Minute Tuna Pasta
• Sun-Dried Tomato Tuna and Quinoa Power Bowl
• Tuna Veggie Wraps with Hummus
• Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna
• Healthy Southwest Tuna Bowl with Lime Herb Dressing

Have You Made This Recipe?

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5 from 8 votes

Spicy Pan Bagnat with Yellowfin Tuna

By: Dana Sandonato

Spicy Pan Bagnat with Yellowfin Tuna brings the tuna sandwich to a whole new level with a tangy dressing, veggies, and tender tuna fillets.

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Marinating time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

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Ingredients 

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Dressing.

• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, smashed and grated to a paste
• ▢ 2 TBSP drained capers
• ▢ 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 TBSP old style stone ground mustard
• ▢ 1 cup thinly sliced red onion, Preferably sliced with a mandolin on the thinnest setting
• ▢ 1 cup mixed olives, roughly chopped (I use 1/2 cup kalamata and 1/2 cup castelvetrano)
• ▢ Jalapeños from King Oscar's jar of tuna, roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 TBSP ribboned basil leaves
• ▢ 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzle later, You can use the oil from the jar of tuna if you'd like!
• ▢ Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Sandwich.

• ▢ 1/2 French baguette
• ▢ 1 jar of King Oscar Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Jalapeño Peppers, drained
• ▢ 2 soft-boiled eggs, sliced into rounds
• ▢ 2 thin slices of tomato
• ▢ 1/3 cup sliced roasted red peppers from the jar
• ▢ 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

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Instructions 

• Bring the red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, and capers together in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the onions, olives, and the jalapeños from the tuna jar to the bowl and stir to coat; set aside for about 10 minutes to marinate.
• When 10 minutes is up, mix in the basil, 2 TBSP of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Carefully slice the baguette in half lengthwise. With a spoon, transfer and spread the olive and onion mixture over the inside of both halves of the bread.
• Layer the bottom half of the baguette with sliced tomatoes, roasted peppers, sliced eggs, tuna, and sliced jalapeños. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and hit it with some salt and pepper.
• Carefully close the sandwich and let it sit for about 10 minutes. This allows the dressing from the olive and onion mixture to seep into the bread a bit.
• When you're ready to serve, cut the sandwich in half (see my tips and tricks below) and serve.

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