Aqua Sale

This is one of the most surprising things I tried in Italy. It is an amazing dish for using up stale bread. Aqua sale means 'water salt' as they are the two main ingredients, it's also known as 'poor man's meat'.

The bread is key here. In Puglia the most popular bread is arguably from Monte Sant'Angelo. A large round bread that is very springy, light and dry with a heavy crust. You can buy it in its full, massive, round form or buy pieces of it. It goes stale quite quickly and is therefore perfect for this.

Any kind of dry, tasty rustic bread is good but nothing dense with a good crust - ciabatta is fine but it must be stale. I have adapted this a little to make a more interesting salad

• 75 g stale bread grated into chunky crumbs

• Cold water, about ¼ pint but it depends

• Course ground sea salt

• Course ground pepper

• Extra virgin olive, a large slug of it, to taste

• A handful of good quality tomatoes - vine, cherry, pref. Organic

• A handful Flat Parsley coarsely chopped

• One spring onion finely chopped

Soak the bread in water, salt and pepper. Don't make it soggy, it must absorb the water only.

Add all other ingredients and leave to rest for about 10 minutes.

This salad should not be wet, it should hold its shape a little like a pate. The tomatoes and oil also add liquid so don't be heavy handed with the water.