Pa amb oli

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 slice(s) farmer’s bread / brown bread
• 1 tomato(s)
• olive oil
• Sea salt or fleur de sel
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• possibly rosemary
• possibly hard cheese
• possibly Serrano ham or Pata negra
• possibly pepper, from the mill
• possibly goat’s cheese, as an alternative to hard cheese

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

‘Bread with oil’ – the Mallorcan ‘butter bread’

Toast a thick slice of bread (in Mallorca they use “pan moreno,” a darker, unsalted bread—but any other type of bread will do) or fry it in a pan with oil and rub it with a clove of garlic (you can, of course, omit it, but it’s not always common in Mallorca). Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Cut the tomato open and grate it over the bread with the cut side. Squeeze out the juice and pulp, discarding the tomato skin. (The tomato should be very aromatic; in Mallorca, they have special tomatoes for this purpose, called “ramellets”). Some people add salt and oil only now, but the tomato should actually press both into the bread. If you prefer, simply cut it into small cubes instead of grating it. Not traditionally common in Mallorca, but very good: Sprinkle with some finely chopped fresh rosemary and freshly ground pepper. You can eat the pa amb oli “on its own” or with cheese/ham. (Tomato is almost always included, despite the name.) Goat’s cheese is also worth a try. Olives, pickled gherkins, capers or caper apples, or pickled sea fennel (probably only available online here) are perfect side dishes. Bon profit! (Enjoy your meal, Mallorcan style)