Pan Con Tomate

One of the world's best Things on Bread

I had dinner the other night at Mirador, my friend Nick’s place, where I did a popup last year (and may do another soon). Pan con tomate has been on their menu since the beginning, and it’s such a perfectly simple classic that I thought I’d write it up in honor of the arrival of tomato season here in the northeast.

Note: In Catalunya it’s called pa amb tomàquet, so you may see that on the menu depending on where you are.

As with all simple dishes, it’s only going to be as good as your ingredients. In this case, that means you want the best bread and tomatoes you can get your hands on—but don’t skimp on the olive oil and salt, either. Every component is crucial to creating this deep and resounding tribute to the tomato, one of the few foods possessing all five flavors. You can make a serviceable version with good canned tomatoes any time of year, but the real glory lies in fresh ripe ones, ideally still warm from the sun. For the love of all that is holy, don’t try to make this with wretched out-of-season supermarket tomatoes.

I had the example in the photo for lunch, but this also makes a fantastic appetizer or part of a larger tapas spread. Variations abound, but I like to keep things pretty traditional (at least some of the time). The idea is to create a balance between all the elements, where the bread serves as a pedestal and, along with the rest of the ingredients, brings out the full dynamic range of the mighty tomato. There’s not much to it, but you do need to hit a few essential marks if you want yours to shine as brightly as possible.