At once crisp, soft, juicy, fragrant, sweet, rich, savoury, salty, and umami, Pan con Tomate with Herbs and Manchego elevates the classic Spanish tomato bread with rich cheese and zesty herbs for a glorious and satisfying eating experience.
I have enjoyed a deep love affair with Pan con Tomate since my teen years, when I lived in Palma de Mallorca, the main isle of the Balearic Islands near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Widely available, easy to make, and using on hand and economical ingredients, this internationally beloved snack is a legend for a reason. Perhaps because I eat Pan con Tomate so often, especially during the summer, I was moved to create another version, most likely the first of many such embellishments on this delicious theme!
Ingredients
The classic version of Spanish tomato bread, a magical edible incantation that uses just tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, and bread, is all that you may need. However, if you have a moment longer and a few extra ingredients, this opulent version adds slices of rich tasting manchego cheese and chopped fresh herbs for an even more satiating and delicious celebration of tomato-esque glory.
While few ingredients are called for, like most simple foods, the more care taken when choosing the components, the better the results. A delicious sturdy bread, ripe tomatoes with a bit of give, and the tastiest olive oil you have on hand will produce the best results.
When choosing herbs, select what you like! I generally use parsley, thyme, oregano, and a bit of rosemary, as that is what I usually have on hand in my garden, but feel free to switch up and omit herbs to suit your preference.
When selecting the cheese, I opt for a Manchego, 12 months of age being my favourite, for its rich, zesty, and slightly salty flavour. However, I’m happy to use aged cheddar, aged gouda, or even a hard goat cheese if that is what I have in the fridge, so feel free to experiment.
Method
Start by grating the raw tomato on the largest holes of a box grater, into a bowl, until nothing but the skin is left. Add the finely chopped herbs, generous lashings of olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt, and stir everything together. You can let this mixture sit at room temperature for a while if you like to infuse the tomato with the herbal flavours, or use it right away as needed.
Next, grilled or toasted bread, while still hot, is rubbed with a raw garlic clove directly onto the surface, the earthy texture acting as a kind of grater that releases the sharp volatile fragrance of the fresh garlic. The more the garlic is rubbed onto the surface of the bread, the more garlic flavour is released.
To finish everything off, generous spoonfuls of the prepared tomato topping are lavished on the bread, followed by more drizzles of olive oil and salt if desired, and finally followed by the slices of manchego cheese. Eat immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
When cutting your bread, if it is not pre-sliced, consider that the thinner the bread is sliced, the more soaked it will become by tomato juices leading to a softer result. Conversely, the thicker the bread slices, the more crunch will be retained. I am quite liberal with my toppings when I make Pan con Tomate in any variation, and so while perhaps overly loading my slices with the juicy tomato topping, I make sure to use moderately thick slices of well toasted bread that become soft and succulent while still retaining crispness on the bottom and crunch on the crusty edges.
As for tomatoes, field or vine tomatoes, when in season, that are ripe and juicy, have the best flavour. When out of season, I find vine ripened greenhouse tomatoes or ‘brown’ tomatoes work best, as I certainly don’t and cannot restrict myself to eating Pan con Tomate solely in the summertime! A hard tomato will likely be less flavourful and more difficult to grate, and will also lack the necessary juices, so make sure your tomatoes have some tangible give. The trick is also to cut the tomatoes widthwise, that is, in the opposite direction of the stem, as I find that method of cutting is the most conducive way to getting the most flesh, juice and seeds out of the tomato and onto the bread.
How to eat Pan con Tomate
Pan con Tomate is at its best when eaten right away after preparation, and I’m sure you will agree, at its best when eaten regularly!
More tomato recipes to love!
Pan con Tomate with Manchego and Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 ripe tomato; cut in half horizontally opposite the stem
- 2-3 teaspoon of chopped mixed fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, etc., finely chopped
- flaky sea salt to taste
- olive oil to taste
- 1 slice sturdy white bread such as a French or Italian boule, or sourdough loaf
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 2-3 slices Manchego cheese substitute an aged cheddar, gouda, or hard goat cheese
Instructions
This recipe is for one slice; increase the amounts of each item by the number of slices you wish to prepare, although one garlic clove should be enough for at least 2 servings if not more.
- Prepare the tomato topping first, by grating the fresh tomato on the coarse side of a box grater, set over a bowl, until nothing but the skin is left. Discard the skin. Add the finely chopped herbs, a generous amount of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and stir to combine.
- Slice the manchego cheese; 2 to 3 slices per serving depending on the size of the bread being used.
- Toast or grill the bread until nicely browned. Take the clove of garlic and rub it over the surface - the more you rub, the more garlic flavour is released. Generously spoon the prepared tomato topping onto the bread. Add more lashings of olive oil and more salt if you like onto the tomato topping, add the slices of manchego, eat immediately, enjoy, and repeat as desired!
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