This pressed sandwich—a specialty of Nice, France—is filled with many of the components of the classic Niçoise salad (tuna, olives, and hard-cooked eggs). Weighting the sandwich allows the bread to soak up their flavors as it compresses.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Split bread in half horizontally. Tear out and discard most of soft interior from each half. In a bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Transfer 2 tablespoons dressing to another bowl; toss with tuna. Toss cucumber and onion with remaining dressing.
Step 2
Spread tapenade on bottom half of bread. Arrange basil, then eggs, on top; season with salt and pepper. Layer with tuna, then cucumber mixture; replace top bread half.
Step 3
Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic and place on a baking sheet; place another baking sheet on top. Weight with a heavy skillet or canned goods. Let stand at least 1 hour at room temperature (or refrigerate up to overnight). To serve, cut into wedges.
Foolproof Hard-Cooked Eggs
Step 4
Place eggs in a saucepan, and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring water to a simmer; remove from heat. Cover, and let stand 12 minutes. Drain and rinse eggs under cold running water. Unpeeled eggs can be refrigerated up to 1 week.
