Pan con tomate (Catalan tomato bread)

Catalonia's breakfast and the base of a thousand tapas: toasted rustic bread rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato, finished with olive oil and salt. Five ingredients, no cooking, and it lives or dies by the tomato.

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices of rustic bread (or a baguette halved lengthways)
• 2 very ripe tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, halved (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Flaky salt

Method

1. Toast or grill the bread until properly crisp.
2. Rub the cut garlic lightly over the surface (skip it for breakfast, keep it for tapas).
3. Halve the tomatoes and rub the flesh hard into the bread until the crust is stained red and only the skin is left in your hand. Or grate the tomato and spoon the pulp over.
4. Drizzle generously with olive oil and finish with flaky salt. Serve immediately, before the bread softens.

Tips

• The tomato must be ripe to the point of embarrassment; in winter use grated canned pear tomatoes.
• It is the foundation for jamón, anchovies, cheese or tortilla on top.