Pan Con Tomate
This is a study in friction and absorption. You want a bread with enough internal structure to hold the tomato juices without disintegrating into a soggy mess before it reaches your mouth.
Wait for the tomato to be soft.
If your tomato is firm and pale, the dish will lack the necessary liquid to soak the bread. Choose tomatoes that yield to gentle pressure.
- box grater
- grill pan or heavy skillet
- serrated bread knife
What goes in.
- 1 loafcrusty sourdough or country-style bread, sliced 1 inch thick
- 4 largevine-ripened tomatoes, room temperature
- 2 clovesfresh garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed
- 1 tspflaky sea salt
The Skin Barrier
Cut the tomato in half across the equator. Place the cut side against the large holes of a box grater and grate until you are holding only the flat, papery skin in your palm.
The method.
Toast the bread
Place your bread slices in a dry, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toast until the edges are dark brown and the center is firm to the touch.
Apply the garlic
While the bread is still hot, take the raw garlic clove and rub it firmly across the toasted surface. The rough bread will act like a rasp, shaving the garlic into the pores of the toast.
Add the tomato
Spoon or pour the grated tomato pulp directly onto the center of each slice. Spread it out with the back of the spoon, pushing it toward the crust so it saturates the crumbs.
Finish and serve
Drizzle the olive oil liberally over the tomato layer, ensuring it pools in the crevices. Sprinkle the salt across the top right before serving to maintain the crunch.
Other turns to take.
Anchovy-topped
Lay a single salt-cured anchovy fillet across the tomato before adding the olive oil.
Jamón base
Drape a slice of thinly shaved Jamón Ibérico over the toast before spooning on the tomato.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Discard the tomato skin immediately after grating so it does not clutter your workspace.
Do not salt the tomato mixture in a bowl beforehand; the salt will draw out the water too quickly and make the mixture watery.
Use a bread with an open crumb—the larger the holes, the better the bread holds the tomato.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a blender instead of a grater?
Avoid it. A blender will aerate the tomato and turn it into a thin foam. A grater provides the right texture—pulp and juice combined.
What if my bread goes soggy?
You likely toasted it for too little time or waited too long to eat it. Build the toast immediately before the first person sits down.
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