andrejthechef
SpainSandwichBreakfastDairy-free

Pan con Tomate y Jamón

Grilled country bread with grated ripe tomato, olive oil and thin slices of cured Spanish ham: the simple tostada served in cafés across Spain at breakfast.

prep
10 min
cook
6 min
total
16 min
serves
4
level
easy
Two thick slices of grilled rustic bread covered with grated tomato and folded slices of cured ham on a speckled oval plate.

Pan con tomate is bread with tomato, olive oil and salt, and with a few slices of jamón on top it becomes a complete breakfast in Spain. In Catalonia it is called pa amb tomàquet and the toast is rubbed with a cut tomato. In Andalusia the tomato is usually grated into a loose pulp and spooned on, which is the version here.

With only four or five ingredients, quality is everything. Use very ripe, soft tomatoes, a good Spanish olive oil and a bread with an open crumb and a sturdy crust. Grill the bread until crisp all the way through, and add the tomato at the last moment so the toast does not turn soggy.

Pan con Tomate y Jamón is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.

method

  1. Halve the tomatoes crosswise. Grate each cut side against the coarse holes of a box grater set over a bowl, pressing until only the skin is left in your hand, and discard the skins. You should have about 300 g of pulp.

  2. Tip the pulp into a sieve and let it drain for 5 minutes so the toast will not get soggy. Return it to the bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the salt.

  3. Heat a grill pan over high heat, or set the broiler to its highest setting. Toast the bread 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crisp and golden with a few charred marks.

  4. While the toast is hot, rub one side lightly with the cut side of the garlic clove, if using. The rough crust grates the garlic, so one or two passes is plenty.

  5. Spoon the tomato over the garlic side, spreading it to the edges, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

  6. Drape the ham over the top in loose folds and serve right away, before the bread softens.

chef's tips

  • Out of tomato season, a good canned whole tomato, crushed by hand and drained, beats a pale fresh one.
  • Take the ham out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead. Cold ham is stiff and loses most of its flavor.
  • Day-old bread is excellent here: it toasts up crisper and holds the tomato better than very fresh bread.
  • For the Catalan version, skip the grater and rub a halved ripe tomato straight over the hot toast.