Toast is really having a moment right now. It initially struck me when I was chowing down on an $18 piece of toast at ABC Kitchen a few weeks ago as if it were the most natural thing in the world to spend that much money on charred bread slathered with mushrooms. It was confirmed when an entire article appeared on Grub Street this week discussing a toast collaboration between David Chang and Daniel Humm, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. Taking the cue from only the most renowned chefs in New York, I’ve concluded that toast is the new dinner and we should all get on board.
The timing was right for the toast revolution when I arrived freshly home from vacation, exhausted (because we vacation hard) but missing cooking a lot despite the incredible food I was quite literally still full of. Toast seemed like the perfect first meal back when I saw the pictures of ripe red tomatoes on top of fresh ricotta in a year-old Martha Stewart Living I was behind on reading. The embodiment of summer, an ideal crostini to go with your cocktail, a way to get in on the tomatoes overflowing from farmers’ market tables.
The tomatoes might have been the draw but it was the anchovies that sold me. Tomatoes taste bright and ricotta is earthy but anchovies bring a depth of flavor to just about anything you put them in that is pretty unrivaled in my view. I fed this dish to a partially reformed anchovy hater and she had seconds, so even if you think you’re not going to love this, I think you should probably try it – even if you have to cut the anchovy portion in half.
Then give yourself a pat on the back for saving yourself $18 eating this delicious toast at home.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons + 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 anchovy fillets
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 lbs assorted heirloom tomatoes, diced
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 loaf country sourdough bread, sliced 1/3" thick
- Flaky sea salt
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
Instructions
- First make the toast. Preheat the oven to 450°. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides with oil. Season with salt. Toast in the oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Next make the topping. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil, anchovies, garlic and rosemary in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the anchovies break down, about 4 minutes.
- Place tomatoes in a bowl, drizzle with the anchovy mixture and season with pepper. Spread ricotta on each toast slice; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Top with the tomato-anchovy mixture.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2015/08/13/tomato-anchovy-toast/
