Bruschetta Recipe

The method is beautifully simple. First, dice and salt the tomatoes. Then toast the bread. Next, rub with garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Finally, top with the tomato mixture and serve immediately. The full method is in the recipe card below.

1 Salt and drain the tomatoes: Finely dice the tomatoes and place in a fine sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle generously with the teaspoon of salt and toss well. Leave to drain for 10 minutes. Furthermore, this step removes the excess water that would otherwise make the bread soggy within seconds of topping. The drained tomatoes are more intensely flavored, concentrated and far superior to undrained ones.

2 Make the tomato topping: Transfer the drained tomatoes to a bowl. Add the minced garlic, torn fresh basil, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Moreover, the topping should taste bright, sharp and intensely tomato flavored. Set aside for 5 minutes while you prepare the bread so the flavors continue to meld.

3 Toast the bread: Heat a ridged grill pan over high heat until smoking. Brush both sides of each bread slice lightly with olive oil. Place on the hot grill and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until deeply golden with charred grill marks. Furthermore, the grill marks add a beautiful smokiness. Alternatively, place under a hot grill in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and crisp.

4 Rub with garlic: While the toast is still hot, rub the cut side of a halved garlic clove firmly over one side of each slice. Furthermore, the heat of the bread opens the surface and draws the garlic flavor in with each pass. Rub once for a mild garlic note or twice for a more pronounced flavor. Moreover, this step is what gives bruschetta its signature character and should never be skipped.

5 Top and serve: Spoon a generous amount of the fresh tomato mixture onto each garlic rubbed slice. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over each bruschetta. Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze in a thin zigzag pattern. Scatter a few fresh basil leaves and a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top. Serve immediately as the bread will begin to soften within minutes of the topping being applied.