Pan Bagnat with Chicken Breast

Pan bagnat—which translates as “bathed bread” because of the way the bread is dressed—is not only one of the most beautiful sandwiches you’ve ever seen but also ideal for picnics: The longer it sits (within reason), the better it gets. View this recipe as a general guideline; you can make the sandwich with whatever cooked food you have on hand, including leftover grilled fish or meat and leftover vegetables.

1 medium zucchini, summer squash, or eggplant

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus oil for brushing the vegetables

1 or 2 red bell peppers (or use whole pimientos from cans or jars)

One 8- to 10-inch round crusty loaf of bread

1 teaspoon drained capers, or more to taste

6 or 8 black or green olives, pitted

4 to 6 anchovy fillets, or more to taste

4 marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

2 or 3 slices ripe tomato

Chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves

Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 -inch slices. If time allows, put it in a colander and salt liberally; let sit for 30 to 45 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly, pressing to extract excess moisture. Meanwhile, heat a charcoal or gas grill or a broiler to moderate heat and put the rack 4 inches or so from the heat source.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and grill until just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. At the same time, brush the zucchini with some olive oil and grill until lightly browned on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Grill the red peppers until the skin blackens and blisters all around, about 5 minutes total. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel, core, and seed them; cut into strips.
• Cut the bread in half horizontally. Remove some of the white crumbs from each half to make the bread somewhat hollow. Then build the sandwich, layering on the chicken, bell pepper, zucchini, capers, olives, anchovies, artichoke hearts, tomato, and herb. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil (or a little more), and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Close the sandwich; wrap well in aluminum foil. Put it on a plate, with another plate on top, and weight the second plate with rocks, bricks, a gallon jug of water—whatever is handy. Use a lot of weight—5 pounds or more. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours. Unwrap, cut into wedges, and serve.

MAKES: 4 servings

TIME: 1 hour, plus time to rest overnight