Bruschetta al Pomodoro

Core the tomatoes and hand-crush or dice roughly into 1–2 cm chunks — leave the seeds and juice in if they smell good; discard the watery liquid if the tomatoes are very large. Combine in a bowl with the torn basil, a generous pinch of flaky salt, the olive oil, and the optional drops of red wine vinegar. Toss gently and leave to macerate at room temperature for exactly 10–15 minutes — no longer. The salt draws juice from the tomatoes to form a light, emulsified dressing; too long and the tomatoes become waterlogged.

Grill the bread slices on a ridged grill pan over high heat, or under a hot broiler, or directly on the embers of a wood fire if available — the char is the point. Cook 1–2 minutes per side until deeply golden-brown with clear grill marks and a hard, crispy texture all the way through. The exterior should be almost crunchy; the interior still has a slight chew. Remove from the heat and immediately, while scorching hot, rub the cut face of a garlic clove across the rough, toasted surface — rub once, firmly. The garlic will grate itself against the rough texture; rub only once per slice or it becomes overpowering.

Rub the hot toast with the cut face of a garlic clove using one firm swipe — once only. Spoon the macerated tomatoes generously onto each slice, including the pooled olive oil and tomato juices from the bowl. The bread should be loaded: Italians do not make dainty bruschetta. Finish with one more drizzle of raw extra-virgin olive oil and an extra pinch of flaky salt. Eat immediately — within 2–3 minutes of assembly. Bruschetta waits for no one: after 5 minutes the toast softens and the dish is lost.