Yeh.
So, Nigella Lawson calls this a “hash,” but, truthfully, I think that it is just about the best example of a panzanella (a bread salad) that I have ever had.
Bread cubes are fried in garlic infused olive oil, then finished in the oven while shallot, more garlic, and tomatoes are finished off in the frying pan before it all gets tossed together in a big bowl, dusted with chives, and then served.
INGREDIENTS
•7+ tbsp garlic infused olive oil
•Pumpernickel bread, cubed
•1 shallot, peeled and sliced
•1 pinch Kosher salt
•1 clove garlic, minced
•3 or 4 tomatoes (cut into chunks)
•1 tbsp Tamari
•Black pepper
•Chopped chives
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, then test by adding one bread cube. If it sizzles, tumble in the rest of the bread and cook, tossing to coat, until the bread is nicely toasted.
Remove the bread and let rest on a paper towel lined plate.
I found that the bread soaked up all of the oil from the skillet, so I added another tablespoon of garlic infused oil, the sliced shallot, and the salt.
Cook until the shallot is slightly caramelized, about five minutes, then add the garlic and cook for one minute more.
Add the tomatoes and cook until they have softened and any pan juices have cooked down, mebbe another five minutes.
At this point, I transferred the bread cubes to a small tray and popped ’em in the toaster oven to crisp up a bit.
Once the tomatoes are ready and the bread crisped, stir the Tamari into the tomatoes and then add the crisped bread and toss.
Sprinkle with thte chives and serve.
Nigella notes that this is not a hash/salad that can be made ahead. Doesn’t really matter though, because it is wicked tasty.