TOMATO BREAD - RECIPE

What is Tomato Bread or
Pa amb Tomaquet?

Tomato bread or ‘Pa amb Tomàquet’ in the local parlance, is as quintessentially Catalan as F.C Barcelona, Antonio Gaudi and Castellers (those crazy people who build human towers with three year olds on top).

Basically, breakfast, lunch, dinner, picnic, snack or midnight feast, there is never a wrong time to eat this deliciously simple fare. Easy to knock together, even for those of you who become a danger to the civilised world when you go near a kitchen.

What You Need

So here we go, full on Pa amb Tomàquet

Grab the following ingredients:

Fresh rustic bread, loaf or stick, whatever floats your boat.
Some really squiggy red tomatoes
Couple of garlic cloves (works better if you peel them)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt (sea, if you want to show off)

Tomato Bread Method

Step 1 – Cut your bread into whatever size you want!

Step 2 – Toast it. (now you don’t have to do this, but it gives the bread a sturdiness that comes in handy and being droopy in public is not cool)

Step 3 – Then rub your peeled garlic on one side of the toasted bread. (a light rub will suffice, but if you are not planning on any post meal tonsil hockey, go as mad as you like)

Step 4 – Cut your toms in half. (equator-wise not pole to pole)

Step 5 – Then lovingly rub the open side of your tomato into the bread (same side as the garlic of course) get a really good, wet coating.

Step 6 – Afterwards, slosh your olive oil on top of the tomato mush

Step 7 – A good ol’ sprinkling of your salt of choice.

Step 8 – Finally, throw it on a plate (and charge €50 if you are on Las Ramblas)

Thats it, happy days.

And Enjoy!

Notwithstanding the more adventurous amongst you who may like to experiment further by adding toppings. Jamon iberico, anchovies, chorizo and the like are poplular. But, my friends, quite frankly if you wanted a pizza you can order one from Dominos.

Cant Cook, Wont Cook

Of course, there are those among us that are the aforementioned ‘culinary challenged’. Accordingly, below you have a couple of the best places you can enjoy tomato bread in Barcelona without lifting a finger. Undeniably fab are Paco Maraigo and El Xampanyet.