Heritage Tomato Panzanella with Anchovy and Caper Vinaigrette

• 800 gmixed heritage tomatoes (different colours and sizes)
• 1 tspflaky sea salt
• 1small shallot, finely sliced
• 1 tbspred wine vinegar
• 300 gday-old sourdough, crusts on
• 2 tbspgarlic-infused olive oil
• pinch of flaky sea salt
• 6good-quality salted anchovy fillets in oil
• 2 tbspcapers in brine, drained
• 1small garlic clove
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar
• 1 tspDijon mustard
• 6 tbspextra virgin olive oil
• black pepper
• 30 gbasil leaves, torn
• ½cucumber, deseeded and chopped into rough chunks
• 1 tbspextra virgin olive oil (optional)

Method

1. 1Core the tomatoes and cut them into uneven chunks; wedges, halves, quarters, whatever the shape suggests. Uneven pieces matter here because each shape catches the dressing differently. Tip them into a large bowl with the flaky salt and toss. Add the sliced shallot and the tablespoon of red wine vinegar, toss again, and leave for 20 minutes. The salt pulls the juice out of the tomatoes; that pink, sweet-savoury liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl is the aim of this dish.
2. 2While the tomatoes weep, heat the oven to 180°C fan. Tear the sourdough into rough 3-4cm chunks; tear, don't cut, because the ragged edges crisp better and grab more dressing. Toss the bread with the garlic-infused oil and a pinch of salt, spread on a tray, and bake for 8-10 minutes until the outside is golden and crisp but the inside still has a little chew. You're not making croutons; you want bread that will soften when it meets the tomato juice but not collapse into mush.
3. 3Make the vinaigrette. Chop the anchovies, capers and garlic together on a board until you've got a rough paste; keep going until the anchovies have broken down completely, otherwise you'll get salty bombs in the salad rather than a savoury hum running through it. Scrape into a bowl, whisk in the vinegar and mustard, then stream in the olive oil while whisking. Crack in plenty of black pepper. Taste; it should be sharp, salty, and intense. Don't add salt; the anchovies and capers carry it.
4. 4Add the warm bread to the tomato bowl and toss thoroughly so every chunk meets the juice. Leave for 5 minutes; you want the bread to drink in the liquid but still hold its shape when you pick a piece up.
5. 5Pour over the vinaigrette, add the cucumber and most of the basil, and toss gently. Leave for 1 hour so the bread absorbs the dressing. If preparing further ahead, refrigerate and bring out shortly before serving.
6. 6Tumble onto a wide platter, scatter over the remaining basil and finish with black pepper. Add the optional final tablespoon of olive oil if using. Taste before adding any salt because the dressing contains anchovies and capers.

Per serving

kcal

331

protein

7.9g

fibre

4.1g

carbs

32.3g

fat

19.5g