With the NFL preseason kicking off this past weekend, I was thinking about how an extra point is more formally known as a Point After Touchdown, aka, in a boxscore, “PAT.” Here in my little corner of the food world, though, I’m suggesting a more savory and delicious use of the acronym. When the local tomato season kicks off, as it has roughly correlated with preseason football, PAT, for me, stands for Pa Amb Tomàquet!
Pa Amb Tomàquet, or PAT, is basically, the Catalan version of bruschetta. I had it ages ago, on my first ever trip to Barcelona, and have eaten it regularly—though only when the local heirloom tomatoes are ripe, as they are right now—ever since. To make it, cut thick slices of good country bread and toast or grill them until they’re lightly browned. Paesano or Rustic Italian will let the tomato’s flavor come through best, but any of the Bakehouse breads will work well. When the bread is golden brown, sprinkle it with a bit of sea salt. The most delicate will be fleur de sel, and the lovely pyramids of salt from Halen Mon in Wales will work beautifully as well. If you like fresh garlic, rub a cut clove along the surface of the bread. Cut a tomato in half and rub it right into the bread—figure on at least half of a medium-sized tomato per piece. You’ll want to really push the tomato into the bread, so you get all the juice. Save the pieces of tomato to put into a salad or a sauce. Spaniards dress both sides of the bread, so don’t hold back. Pour on plenty of extra virgin olive oil and eat it while it’s hot.
Given its origins, it would be ideal to use a Spanish oil to make your PAT—I’m partial right now to the marvelous Marques de Valdueza from western Spain, but of course, any great extra virgin olive oil will be delicious. PAT is typically also topped with anchovies. The Ortiz Gran Anchoa are excellent right now. So too are the wonderful anchovies from the folks at Fishwife. You can also add slices of Iberico ham or a slice of Spanish cheese, like Manchego. If you’re entertaining, you can use different colored tomatoes and serve slices of yellow, red, and green tomatoes atop the toast, too. Whatever you do, eat it hot, and eat a lot!
If you go to Barcelona, you may be served an entire platter of pieces of PAT. It looks lovely and tastes even better! Catalonia and Barcelona, by the way, have a long and interesting anarchist history. If you want to think artistically, the dark black of the well-toasted crust on the edges, with the red of the tomatoes, recreate the red and black of the Barcelona anarchist flags. Take “raise a toast” to a new level.
