Pan bagnat at the Comptoir du Boulevard
A veritable institution on the Promenade des Anglais, the “Pan bagnat” (not “pain bagnat”) is unfortunately too often copied but never equaled. Most bakeries cheat by calling a sandwich pain bagnat, which has nothing to do with the Nice sandwich. Pan bagnat was originally a poor man’s dish, intended for peasants and fishermen. The word bagnat means “wet” because stale bread soaked in water and tomato juice served as the base for the preparation.
Passionate about sandwiches and traditional recipes, Romain Bortolotti offers us the one and only Pan Bagnat from his little pocket counter. He is pleased to share his recipe with us: for get started, cut in half a delicious country loaf from Boulangerie des Grottes, remove then the crumb top edge to make room for the garnish, then soak olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Assemble the sandwich with seasoned tomatoes, tuna belly, hard-boiled eggs, black olives, spring onions, finely chopped radishes and basil. The whole without mayonnaise, without chicken or curry and especially without salad.
To perpetuate traditions, Pan bagnat has now been awarded a label which allows recognizing establishments respectful of the traditional recipe. Friends of Nice and fans of this typical sandwich, go with your eyes closed to the Comptoir du Boulevard the next time you’re in Geneva.
