rustic hashish, salad and soup ideas

With bacon, tomatoes and eggs cooked straight into the mix, this rustic bread hash is an easy one-pan meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The toasted bread softens slightly, absorbing the tomato juices, giving it a nice crunchy, chewy texture. Sourdough bread, with its savory flavor and aroma, works especially well here, but any loaf with a chewy, sturdy crumb will do.

If desired, add store-bought pesto for an extra boost of flavor.

8 ounces bacon, preferably thick cut

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

6 ounces country bread, preferably sourdough, cut into rough 1/2-inch cubes (4 cups)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

6 large eggs

Chopped green onions for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in middle position. In a 12-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy, about 8 to 9 minutes. Remove pan from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a large bowl lined with paper towel; postpone. Drain and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pan.

To the remaining bacon fat in the pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bread and cook, stirring frequently and reducing heat as needed to prevent burning, until golden brown and toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon and wipe out the pan.

In the same skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add onion and teaspoon salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, press the tomatoes several times to release more juice.

Return the bread and bacon to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the bread absorbs the tomato juices, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Using the back of a large spoon, make 6 evenly spaced indentations in the tomato-bread mixture, each about 2 inches in diameter. Break 1 egg into each well, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and cook until the bread is crisp and the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from oven (handle will be hot). Serve sprinkled with green onions.

Chicken baked in a pan with bread salad

Makes 4 servings

This recipe was inspired by the late Judy Rogers’ wood-oven baked chicken, which was a staple of the Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. Cooking starts on the stove and ends in the oven, so make sure your pan is oven-safe at 475 degrees. During baking, turn the chicken twice. This is best done with strong tongs. Grasp the bird by the spine, inserting one end of the tongs into the cavity, then grasp the chicken firmly and turn it over.

Be sure to dry the chicken thoroughly before adding seasonings. The drier the skin, the better it will brown and crisp up during baking.

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3½ to 4 pounds whole chicken, drained

6 sprigs thyme

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided

8 ounces crusty whole grain bread, torn into large pieces (5 cups)

2 tablespoons chopped pecans or pine nuts

4 shallots, thinly sliced ​​on the diagonal

8 pitted dates, chopped

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

8 ounces frisee or radicchio, torn or cut into small pieces, or baby kale (about 4 cups lightly packed)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack in middle position. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Using your fingers, remove the skin from the meat on the breast and thighs of the chicken. Insert thyme sprigs under the skin in these areas. Sprinkle chicken salt and pepper all over chicken and in cavities, rubbing seasoning into skin; postpone.

In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil until shimmering. Add bread and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Add the pecans to the now empty skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add nuts, green onions, dates and 1/4 cup water to bread; stir, then set aside.

Return skillet to medium and heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil until shimmering. Place the chicken breast in the pan (it should sizzle on contact) and place in the oven; bake for 15 minutes.

Remove pan from oven (handle will be hot). Using tongs, flip the chicken breast side down and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chicken to a large plate. Add the bread mixture to the pan and stir to combine with the drippings in the pan. Return the chicken breast to the pan, placing it on top of the bread. Roast until the entire breast is golden brown and the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees, 12 to 18 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven. Using tongs, tilt the chicken until the juices drain from the cavity into the pan, then transfer the bird to a cutting board. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add vinegar and herbs to skillet (handle will still be hot); stir in bread. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a platter. Shred the chicken, removing and discarding the thyme sprigs, and place the pieces on top of the salad. Pour over any accumulated juice.

Bread and tomato soup with spinach and parmesan

Makes 4 servings

A Tuscan bread soup called aquacotta, which means “cooked water” in Italian, uses day-old bread and other leftovers sparingly, turning them into a rustic, hearty dish. It’s a cousin of the more famous pappa al pomodoro, another type of Tuscan bread and tomato soup. But if pappa al pomodoro cooks bread in tomato broth, then in the case of aquacotta, the bread is placed in plates and the soup is poured on top.

Often a poached egg is added to individual bowls of aquacotta. In our version, we don’t add the egg, but add fresh spinach (or arugula) for color and a fresh, mineral flavor.

To add even more color and flavor, you can garnish the soup with chopped fresh basil, but the soup is delicious without it.

4 ounces country bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve

1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme or dried rosemary

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand.

1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth

5-ounce container of baby spinach or baby arugula

Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in middle position. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine bread and 1 tablespoon butter, then spread into an even layer. Bake until bread is light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan set over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, thyme and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, then add spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Turn off the heat, taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide the toasted bread among plates and ladle the soup over them. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of butter.

---

Christopher Kimball is the founder of Milk Street, which has a magazine, a school, and a radio and television show. Globe readers get 12 weeks of full digital access, plus two issues of Milk Street’s print magazine for just $1. Visit 177milkstreet.com/globe. Send comments to [email protected].