Pan Con Tomate

This Pan con Tomate, which means “bread with tomato” in Spanish, is my twist on this classic tapas dish. The lemon juice and a pinch of zest brightens up the tomato flavor and the anchovy adds a salty je ne sais quois to this pan con tomate. The calabrian chili is optional but if you enjoy a little heat like I do, add a pepper or two. If you want to keep things simple, skip the anchovy, lemon and chili to enjoy a traditional pan con tomate. You can’t go wrong either way.

my inspiration

I recently went to the soft opening of Bad Roman in NYC which is owned by the team behind Don Angie, Zou Zou’s and Quality Italian. They served this bright umami-filled tomato dip along with a warm platter of rosemary focaccia. I asked the waiter what was in the dipping sauce and he mentioned lemon juice, anchovies and peppers. I tried to recreate those flavors in a pan con tomate version and although it didn’t taste exactly like the dip I had at Bad Roman, this pan con tomate was full of bright and umami flavors.

key ingredients

• Ripe Tomatoes: I used slicer tomatoes that were on the vine from Whole Foods. Beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes are great substitutes as well.

• Baguette: I used a sourdough baguette. If you can’t find a good quality baguette, ciabatta or any crusty sturdy sourdough bread are great substitutes.
• Anchovies: I chopped two anchovy fillets and gently cooked it over low heat until the anchovy dissolved into the garlic olive oil. If you’ve never tried anchovies, I promise you will not taste any fishiness in the tomato sauce. Also, if you want to make this step a bit easier for yourself, substitute with a teaspoon of anchovy paste instead to skip the chopping step all together.
• Garlic Oil: I made a garlic infused olive oil with anchovies. This flavored oil is very similar to a bagna cauda and it also makes a great dipping sauce for bread and crudités.
• Lemon Juice & Zest: A splash of lemon juice and a pinch of zest will brighten up the tomato purée. I also love to add lemon zest and anchovies to my jarred tomato sauce. It’s such an easy way to make your jarred tomato sauce even better.
• Fresh Garlic: The tops of the toasted bread will act as a natural grater when you rub the garlic on it.
• Calabrian Chili (optional): I added one finely chopped Calabrian chili. If you don’t have Calabrian chili, you can substitute with crushed red pepper flakes.

key steps

1. Grate Tomatoes: I like to use this daikon grater for pan con tomate because it has a strainer underneath the grater. You can also use a box grater to do this. If you’re using a box grater, make sure to strain the tomato pulp through a mesh sieve to remove any excess liquid from the tomatoes.
2. Make the Anchovy Garlic Oil: Add the olive oil and garlic to a cold pan. Then turn the heat to a very low setting. Let the garlic gently simmer in the oil for about a minute. Then add the chopped anchovies to the pan and let it cook in the garlic oil for about 15-20 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Then add the anchovy garlic oil to the tomato purée.
3. Add Lemon Juice, Zest & Chili: Add a spritz of lemon juice, a pinch of lemon zest and chopped Calabrian chili to the tomato purée. Mix all the ingredients well. Season with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
4. Toast the Baguette: Set the broiler to high and place the oven rack in the middle. Drizzle the tops of the tops of the sliced baguette with extra virgin olive oil. Transfer the baguette to the oven and broil for about 2-3 minutes until the top of the bread become golden and slightly charred. Once the bread is slightly cooled, rub the tops of the baguette with a whole clove of garlic. The crispy tops of the bread will act as a grater for the garlic.
5. Assemble the Pan con Tomate: Generously spread the tomato puree over the each piece of bread. Drizzle the top with more extra virgin olive oil and add flaky salt and crushed black pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!