Pan con Tomate — Catalan Tomato Toast

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices country bread
• 2 very ripe tomatoes, halved across the equator
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• 3 tbsp good olive oil
• ½ tsp flaky salt
• 4 slices jamón serrano (optional)

Method

1. Toast or grill the bread until the surface is crisp and dry with a few dark blisters. Soft toast turns to mush the second the tomato hits it.
2. While it is still hot, rub the cut garlic across the rough surface — one or two passes, not ten. Garlic is a seasoning here, not a topping.
3. Grate the cut side of each tomato on a box grater down to the skin, or rub the halves directly onto the bread until only the skin is left in your hand.
4. Pour olive oil over generously, scatter flaky salt, and drape jamón on top if you have it. Eat within about ninety seconds of assembly.