"Pa amb tomàquet" with Iberian Bellota Ham

Pa amb tomàquet (tomato bread, pronounced pam-too-mah-cat) is a traditional Catalan dish. It has the gift of reviving slightly stale bread while enhancing a wide variety of toppings: cured meats, omelets, tuna, sardines, anchovies in oil… and even, for the bold, milk chocolate.

Paired with Iberian Bellota ham, it becomes a simple, refined, and exquisite dish to enjoy any time of day.

🥖 Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 to 4 slices of bread (preferably country-style bread)
• 1 to 2 ripe, juicy tomatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Thin slices of Iberian Bellota ham

🔪 Preparation

1. Choosing the bread

Use day-old country bread. If unavailable, a well-baked baguette or ficelle with little crumb works too.
Toast the bread, ideally over a wood fire. If the bread is fresh, this step is essential to get the right texture.

2. Preparing the tomato

• Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally (across the internal chambers).
• Rub the cut side of the tomato onto the toasted bread generously, leaving only the skin.
• Tip: rustic, coarse bread works best. Fresh bread is often too soft.

3. (Optional) Rub with garlic

• For a more rustic flavor, rub half a clove of raw garlic onto one side of the bread.
• Be cautious: garlic can overpower delicate flavors like Iberian ham.

4. Seasoning

• Lightly salt the tomato-rubbed surface.
• Drizzle a thin stream of extra virgin olive oil without soaking the bread.
• The more flavorful the oil, the more rustic the result.

🍽️ Serving

• Lay the slices of Iberian Bellota ham over the prepared bread.
• Let the ham sit at room temperature for 10–20 minutes before serving.
• Serve immediately — if the pa amb tomàquet sits too long, it loses texture and taste.

🍷 Wine Pairings

Pair with a smooth, elegant red wine that complements the tomato’s acidity and enhances the ham’s richness:

• Rioja
• Priorat
• Aged Bordeaux with mellow tannins