Pan Con Tomate – Best Thing to Do with Bread

I’m talking about pan con tomate the ubiquitous Catalan bread, and tomato. It’s so simple, but to me, it’s perhaps the best thing that’s ever been done to a bread.

Take a piece of crusty bread, preferably a little stale, toast it a bit, rub a clove of garlic all over one side, cut a super ripe tomato in half, rub the cut side of one of the halves on the bread until the juice runs all over your hand and the bread, making a grand mess -making a mess is an integral part of this, trust me-, douse the piece of bread liberally with good olive oil, Spanish of course, and sprinkle a bit of sea salt all over. Done! That’s it. Glorious in its simplicity, isn’t it? It’s a wonder that the same culture, the same people, gave rise to the overwrought cuisine of elBulli.

I remember a funny story about this bread in grad school. We had two visiting researchers from Barcelona at my lab for a month or two. I invited them once to dinner, so they responded in kind and invited me to a classic Spanish lunch where they would make the famous tortilla and pan con tomate. They were so excited about this, talking about it at length for days before lunch.

The day arrived, they went to the local Albertsons in La Jolla for the ingredients. I arrived with a bottle of Rioja, I could smell the tortilla cooking, on the tabletop were some freshly toasted bread, a couple of tomatoes, a bottle of olive oil, a few cloves of garlic, and a bowl of salt, everything one needed for a great pan con tomate.

You see where this is going, don’t you? Miquel grabbed the tomato, cut it in half, giving a running commentary about his proud culinary heritage, and began to rub the cut tomato half on the bread in earnest. Nothing came out. Nothing. After a few seconds, he stopped, turning the tomato half up and staring at it in disbelief. Tried again, but still, nothing came out. He was clearly frustrated now, dry as <censored>, he swore. Yeah, I forgot to tell you about the Catalonian’s gift at imaginative -not to mention lurid- swearing.

What Miquel didn’t understand: the beauty of those bright red tomatoes from Albertsons was only skin-deep. In taste, they were mealy, dry, and just a step better than biting into a hunk of styrofoam. We ended up eating toast and olive oil with the tortilla. Oh well.

So, the moral of the story is, don’t attempt this pan con tomate with supermarket tomatoes. Wait until you have fresh, vine-ripen tomatoes at your local farmers’ market or your very own garden if you were that lucky. It would be pointless otherwise.

For us, last night, to accompany the delicious pan con tomate was a skirt steak, seared very quickly on the mini grill out in the backyard. We opened a 1985 Mt.Eden Cab first, but it turned out to be quite over the hill. Quite. Oh well, undeterred, we found a 1995 Pontet-Canet, a Bordeaux.

Pan Con Tomate – Best Thing to Do with Bread

“Pan con tomate,” also known as “pa amb tomàquet” in Catalan, is a simple and popular Spanish dish that consists of bread rubbed with ripe tomatoes and typically drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. This dish has its own set of pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Simplicity: Pan con tomate is incredibly easy to prepare. You need minimal ingredients and time to create a tasty and satisfying dish.
2. Fresh and Healthy: It’s a healthy option. Ripe tomatoes provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and olive oil is a source of healthy fats.
3. Versatility: Pan con tomate can be a versatile base for other toppings like cheese, ham, or anchovies, making it a great appetizer or tapas option.
4. Texture: The combination of the crisp bread and the juicy, soft tomato creates a pleasing contrast in textures.
5. Flavor: When made with high-quality ingredients, pan con tomate can be bursting with flavor, especially when using ripe, in-season tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil.

Cons:

1. Dependent on Ingredients: The quality of the dish heavily relies on the quality of the ingredients. If the tomatoes or olive oil are subpar, the taste will suffer.
2. Sogginess: The bread can become soggy if the tomatoes are overly juicy or not drained properly, making it less enjoyable to eat.
3. Limited Complexity: While simplicity is a pro for many, others might find it lacking in complexity. It doesn’t have a wide range of flavors or ingredients.
4. Not Filling: Pan con tomate is more of a snack or appetizer than a full meal. It might not be sufficient to satisfy your hunger on its own.
5. Seasonal Dependence: The quality of the dish can vary depending on the season and the ripeness of the tomatoes. In the off-season, it may not be as flavorful.

In summary, pan con tomate is a delightful and straightforward dish that offers fresh and healthy flavors. While its simplicity is a pro for some, it may be seen as lacking in complexity by those who prefer more intricate dishes. Its success depends on the quality of the ingredients used, and it’s best enjoyed as a light snack or appetizer.