Tomato and Anchovy Bread Pudding
Thomas J. Story
“This recipe is perfect for a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. It’s an oldie but a goodie. Some call it Southern pizza, and I believe they are right,” declares South Carolina-born Angeleno restaurateur Ari Kolender.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “Oysters, Lamb, Derby Pie: This Holiday Feast Has It All.”
How to Make It
1
Preheat oven to 400°F with convection, or 425°F without.
2
Pour the tomatoes into a large mixing bowl and crush them by hand until they have a rustic, chunky texture.
3
Tear the bread into roughly 1-to-1½-inch pieces. Add the bread to the bowl, along with the melted butter, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Mix it well with your hands, until all of the tomato juice has been absorbed into the bread.
4
Grease a 12-inch skillet with the room temperature butter, making sure to get both bottom and walls. Dump in the bread mixture. Shape it into a relatively even layer, touching the walls of the skillet as much as possible to create a crust, but not pressing it or compacting it. Place it in the center of the oven. Bake until it is set, and rustically charred, making sure that the sides of the pudding are caramelized, about 1 hour. Once it is cooked, let it rest at least 15 minutes.
5
Serve it garnished with whole anchovy filets and more black pepper.
Ingredients
2 (28-oz) cans whole, peeled tomatoes
14 oz crusty bread (I prefer sourdough for the extra acidity), day-old is fine
3 tbsp salted butter, melted, plus 1 tbsp at room temperature
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
55 twists freshly ground black pepper
1 jar (usually around 3.3 oz) or 2 cans (usually 1.73 oz) of good anchovies, for serving
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 400°F with convection, or 425°F without.
2
Pour the tomatoes into a large mixing bowl and crush them by hand until they have a rustic, chunky texture.
3
Tear the bread into roughly 1-to-1½-inch pieces. Add the bread to the bowl, along with the melted butter, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Mix it well with your hands, until all of the tomato juice has been absorbed into the bread.
4
Grease a 12-inch skillet with the room temperature butter, making sure to get both bottom and walls. Dump in the bread mixture. Shape it into a relatively even layer, touching the walls of the skillet as much as possible to create a crust, but not pressing it or compacting it. Place it in the center of the oven. Bake until it is set, and rustically charred, making sure that the sides of the pudding are caramelized, about 1 hour. Once it is cooked, let it rest at least 15 minutes.
5
Serve it garnished with whole anchovy filets and more black pepper.
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