Grilled Bread with Tomatoes

Similar to Pan con Tomate, though this recipe breaks with tradition. Instead of rubbing toast with cut tomatoes, we grated the tomatoes to make a raw sauce that the bread can really absorb.

1 ciabatta loaf
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, halved crosswise
2 lb. heirloom tomatoes, cored
flaky sea salt

Garnish:
freshly ground black pepper
freshly chopped oregano
oil-packed anchovy fillets
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C/130°C fan, Gas Mark 2).

Holding a bread knife so it’s parallel with work surface, slice ciabatta in half lengthwise (like opening a book). Slice each piece in half lengthwise down the center, then cut each strip on a diagonal into 4 pieces (you should have 16 pieces total).

Drizzle 3 Tbsp. oil over bread and rub each piece to evenly distribute oil. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly browned and dried out, 30–40 minutes. Rub warm toast with cut sides of garlic; set aside.

Meanwhile, slice a thin round off the bottom of each tomato. Starting at cut end, grate tomatoes on the largest holes of a grater into a medium bowl until all that’s left are the flattened tomato skins. Finely chop skins and mix into grated flesh; season very generously with salt.

Spoon a generous amount of tomato sauce over each toast (you may have some left over). Let sit at least a minute or two so bread can absorb some of the juices. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with more salt, and top as desired.