Tomato Texas Toast
They say everything’s bigger in Texas and Texas toast is no exception. Essentially, it’s a thick slice of bread, slathered with butter (and sometimes garlic) and toasted until golden crispy brown but still soft and pillowy on the inside. I’ve used Japanese milk bread (also known as shokupan) here, but you can use a pullman loaf or even brioche—though of course the key here is to get your loaf unsliced so you can cut your own Texas-sized slices. I’ve upped my mayo game by making nori mayo—the depth of flavor from the nori makes the tomatoes sing.
Makes 1 toast
INGREDIENTS
1 to 2 ripe heirloom tomatoes
1 full-sized sheet of nori (see note)
⅓ cup Kewpie mayo
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
One 1-1½” slice of milk bread
Furikake, for finishing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Slice tomatoes crosswise in approximately ½” slices. Arrange in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Set aside.
Add nori to a spice blender and blend until fine. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with Kewpie mayo, toasted sesame oil and lemon zest until combined.
In a non-stick pan over medium heat, melt half the butter and toast bread until golden brown—about 1 minute. Flip, add the remaining butter and toast the second side for another 30 seconds or so.
Blot tomatoes with a paper towel, then season with black pepper. Spread nori kewpie generously on one side of the Texas toast, then layer with tomato slices. Finish with some furikake. Serve immediately.
Note: Full-sized sheets of Nori are approximately 8” x 7½”. Nori sheets also come in smaller sizes (sometimes called seaweed or nori snacks) which are more commonly available—use 4 to 5 of those.
Have you made it?
Tag @petersom on Instagram or use #theextrataste. I’d love to see your dishes! xoPeter