Robert and I hiked up Iron Peak this weekend, and I brought along a couple of Pain Bagnats for our lunch. Pain Bagnat (also commonly spelled Pan Bagnat) is a sandwich from the Provence region of France. It is basically Salade Nicoise on a crusty bun. The most traditional fillings are tuna or anchovies, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes, cucumber or bell pepper, olives and some sort of vinaigrette. Optional ingredients include sliced cheeses or meats, lettuce or other greens, pesto, capers, roasted bell peppers, sliced onion, or even marinated chickpeas. A nice crusty bun or loaf, such as a baguette, is essential to making a good Pain Bagnat.

Pain Bagnat is a perfect sandwich to take hiking because it doesn’t contain any highly perishable ingredients. Also, it is a very sturdy sandwich; once assembled, it is actually meant to sit for a while to allow all of the ingredients to marinate together and soak into the bread (Pain Bagnat actually translates to “bathed” or “wet” bread.) Pain Bagnats are usually pressed down using weights for anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight to assist with the marination process. I figured that wedging the sandwiches into a tightly packed daypack would have a similar effect. We ate our delicious Pain Bagnats with fresh grapes while enjoying the stunning 360-degree view from the top of Iron Peak.