SERVES 4
While a favorite these days of creative chefs, this is, at heart, an afternoon kids’ snack—given at day care centers, schools, and kitchen tables. For my father-in-law, who grew up near the Arbequina olive region of Les Garrigues, it was this or a piece of bread sprinkled with sugar and moistened with red table wine. But as Gerard Veà—producer of Les Garrigues’ most celebrated olive oil—once showed me, it isn’t just for kids. He offered me this perfect version, using plenty of his family’s own fruity, aromatic oil. Simple, sure, but a pure adult indulgence. Especially when using chocolate by Enric Rovira, Oriol Balaguer, or another of Spain’s foremost chocolate makers.
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and slide them under the broiler. Toast slightly, turning as needed, until the edges are fringed golden. Remove from the oven. Turn off the broiler but close the door to keep the oven warm.
3. Lay a piece of chocolate atop each slice of bread and slide back into the warm oven. Leave in the heat only long enough to just soften the chocolate; do not let it completely melt. Once the edges begin to droop—but the chocolate still has a “bite” to it—remove from the oven.
4. Transfer the bread to a serving platter. Liberally drizzle each with olive oil and generously scatter salt flakes over the top. Serve immediately.