Heritage Tomato Panzanella with Anchovy and Caper Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 800g mixed heritage tomatoes (different colours and sizes)
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 small shallot, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 300g day-old sourdough, crusts on
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• pinch of flaky sea salt
• 6 good-quality salted anchovy fillets in oil
• 2 tbsp capers in brine, drained
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• black pepper
• 1 large bunch basil (about 30g), leaves torn
• 1/2 cucumber, deseeded and chopped into rough chunks
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to finish

Method

1. Core 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 whole point of this dish.
2. While 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. Make 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. Add 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. Pour over the vinaigrette, add the cucumber and most of the torn basil, and toss gently with your hands. Now leave it. Sit on the counter, uncovered, for a full hour. Do not refrigerate — cold murders tomato flavour and turns the texture mealy. The hour is non-negotiable; it's when the bread, juice, oil and vinegar marry into one thing.
6. Just before serving, taste again. If it needs lift, a splash more vinegar. If it's too sharp, a drizzle more olive oil. Tumble onto a wide platter so you can see the colours, scatter the remaining basil over the top, finish with the last tablespoon of olive oil, flaky salt and black pepper.