Recipe: Steinbeck’s Bagnat:
I came up with this recipe because I couldn’t find the canned sardine app for my new smartphone. Also because I found some really good tinned sardines when I was in Monterey, CA a couple months back. While there I discovered Cannery Row Sardine Co. The young entrepreneur behind this had the brilliant idea of bringing back sardines to Cannery Row. And he has a great product. Go to www.canneryrowsardineco.com to order. The price is a bit high but worth it in a supply and demand universe.
This sandwich is a riff on the pan bagnat and it will be “wet.” It’s supposed to be. Have an ample amount of napkins on hand. This recipe is intended to serve 4 but do the math yourself.
Ingredients;
4 ciabatta style rolls or the equivalent amount of sections of one ciabatta loaf.
2 four oz cans of Cannery Row Sardine Co.™ sardines packed in olive oil or the equivalent in imported tinned sardines.
2 to 3 really good anchovy filets (don’t wimp out on me)
1 sweet onion
1 heirloom tomato
1 bunch watercress
2 radishes---I like the French Breakfast variety because they grow well for me.
Nicoise olives, pitted and sliced (optional)
Sea salt and pepper
Your best olive oil*
The process: wash the watercress and maybe use a salad spinner to get water off. Slice the onions and tomato as thin as you can by hand and set aside. If you have a Kyocera hand slicer (remember mine is named Danton) use it to thinly slice the radishes.
Assembly: lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap on a board. Slice the roll in half lengthwise. Put the halves on the cling wrap and scoop out enough of the crumb so that you have two “canoes.” Give both canoes a generous dose of your best olive oil.
Place a good handful of leaves on the first “canoe.” Top this with the sardine and then the anchovies. Add tomatoes and onion in any order you would like. Finish with olives and radishes, all in a big pile. In the other canoe place the remaining cress. And turn over to cover the sandwich.
Wrap it all up in the cling wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Repeat with as many rolls as you have.
Great for those days when you don’t want to turn on the oven
*If I ever hear any of you use the term “EVOO” you will be permanently off the recipe list. Why? Because even though Rachael Ray has her own brand she doesn’t even know what the term Extra Virgin means. And I’m flat out serious. The world must be saved from this evil woman. Let’s get started!
