Pan Con Tomate

Ingredients:
​Rustic Bread
​2 Rip Tomatoes
​Spanish Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic
​Jamon Iberico or Jamon Serrano (Optional)

Every meal in the Spanish province of Catalonia starts with Pan Con Tomate, sometimes served with ham and sometimes without. Sometimes served with anchovies and sometimes without. It is a simple dish to make but the flavors are complex. It could be enjoyed by itself with a glass of Rioja or as a part of a charcuterie board. The key to a great Pan Con Tomate is to use fresh and high quality ingredients. You can toast the bread but I prefer to grill it to make the flavors really burst. 

There are two ways to make a great Pan Con Tomate. In the old traditional way, you toast or grill the bread first. Then each person at the table lightly rub the sides of a peeled and halved garlic clove on the bread. Don't overdo this part. Then rub the halved tomatoes on the bread to give the bread a good tomato coating. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and you are done!!

​When you have a party it can be messy to have each person to prepare their own, so then you can use the second approach. Slice 2 super ripe tomatoes in halves. The riper the better. Grate the flesh on a grater but make sure that you throw away the skin. Mix the grated tomatoes with two pressed garlics and set aside.  

Slice the bread and brush with some olive oil on both sides. Grill on medium high heat. You want to make sure that the bread get a good crust but that it doesn't get burnt. Grill both sides and transfer to a cutting board.

Spoon the tomate/garlic mix on top of the bread, make sure that you reach the very edges of the grilled bread. Drizzle with Spanish olive oil and sprinkle with salt. The quality of both the olive oil and the salt will make a huge difference in the taste of the Pan Con Tomate. I like flaky sea salt for a richer taste. Eat as is, or add some Jamon Iberico. You can also add anchovies or some marinated olives.