Pan con tomate (bread with tomato) is a popular Spanish appetizer/snack (Tapa) with tomato, garlic and olive oil. To make it traditionally, you would rub the tomato onto a piece of bread; however, my take on this classic involves pureeing the tomato.
It's August, and tomatoes are in season; the star of this show is green Heirloom tomatoes that are bursting with a sweet flavour. Pan con tomate is one of the summer's great joys. You must try this tapa; it is a yummy delight and a perfect light bite for a party or gathering. It is easy and quick to make, but the result will impress. The vivid green colour gives an exciting alternative to a classic red tomato pan con tomate and is sure to intrigue your guests.
In this recipe, we are taking the classic pan con tomate and adding more flavours. This recipe is my kind of Mexican version. The red onion and jalapenos give this pan con tomate a nice kick.
I chose the green heirloom tomato for the colour and because it's less acidic and has a sweet-tart flavour, perfect to layer with more flavours. I have also used heirloom tomatoes in a couple of my salads. Please take a look at my heirloom tomato and strawberry salad and my heirloom tomato Panzanella.
This pan con tomate pairs well well my fennel and red pepper salad.
Ingredients
- Green, heirloom tomatoes
- Sourdough bread
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Grated jalapeno peppers
- Red onion
- Flaky sea salt
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First, prepare your ingredients.
Wash and pat dry the heirloom tomatoes.
Separate the layers of the onion and chop them as finely as possible.
Finely chop the pickled jalapeno peppers
Peel the garlic and set it aside.
Grate the tomatoes using the large side of the grater. The skin that remains makes a great snack.
Place the grated tomatoes into a sieve for a minute to drain off excess tomato juice. You can drink the juice!
Transfer the grated tomatoes to a bowl, and add the chopped onion, jalapeno peppers, and flaky sea salt to the grated tomatoes. Mix well.
Heat a pan over medium heat and add some olive oil. Toast the bread until golden brown on each side.
Rub the garlic over one side of the bread.
Finally, add the tomato pulp mixture onto the toast. Garnish with coriander or parsley.
Substitutions
You can try this recipe with any tomato that you have access to; they do not need to be heirloom tomatoes; however, heirloom tomatoes have superior taste, in my opinion.
Don't have pickled jalapenos? Use fresh jalapenos, or replace them with serrano peppers.
Variations
Of course, you can omit the jalapenos and red onion and make the traditional pan con tomate with tomato, garlic, and olive oil.
Storage
Eating it fresh as soon as the tomatoes have been grated and seasoned is best; however, you can keep the tomato mixture in the fridge for up to three days. If it releases too much water, give it a mix or pass it through a sieve again.
Top tip
Serve the pan con tomate as soon as you add the tomato mix, or the toast will become soggy.
📖 Recipe
Pan Con Tomate
Equipment
- Digital scales
Ingredients
- 4 slices Sourdough or similar bread
- 90 gms Green Heirloom tomato or any large tomato approximately four tomatoes
- 15 gms Pickled jalapeno peppers
- 15 gms Red onion
- 4 gms Garlic clove one garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon Flaky sea salt
- 25 ml Olive oil about 2 tablespoon
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the tomatoes and grate using the large side of the grater.
- Separate the layers of the onion and chop them as finely as you can.
- Finely chop pickled jalapeno peppers
- Peel the garlic clove and set aside.
- Transfer the grated tomatoes to a sieve and drain the excess juice. Then transfer the pulp to a bowl and drink the juice.
- Add the chopped red onion, chopped jalapeno peppers, salt and olive oil to the tomatoes and mix.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add some olive oil to it.
- Toast the bread until golden on each side.
- Rub the garlic clove on one side of the bread and add a spoon of the tomato mixture.
- Garnish as desired with coriander or parsley. Optional but highly recommended.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
NOTES
FAQ
With heirloom tomatoes, the seeds are the crucial thing. The seeds of the best tomatoes are passed down season-to-season. The tomatoes are non-hybrid, so their colour is not as uniform as hybrid tomatoes, and they tend to have a sweeter taste.
The traditional method of making pan con tomate in 19th century Catalonia, Spain, was to rub tomato and olive oil into stale bread to soften it. It is now a classic Spanish tapa and served with any meal.
Food Safety
In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Of course, practising good food hygiene and safety at home is also essential. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen.
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.
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