Confit is a French technique that means ‘Preserved‘. It’s the process of preserving food by slow cooking in fat. One can confit different ingredients most common being Garlic, Duck, Tomatoes, Chickpeas and so on. In this case we are confit’ing baby tomatoes and garlic along with lemon peel and fresh herbs to add flavor and aroma. Baking tomatoes, garlic with aromatics low and slow in flavorful extra virgin olive oil renders tomatoes juicy, sweet with an intense complex flavor and the garlic-creamy, flavorful and spreadable. The olive oil that remains is infused with all the aromatics, it is perfect to dip into, drizzle, spread and delicious to use over just about anything. A brilliant, easy condiment that can jazz up any kind of meal, from simple toasts to pasta, salads, risotto, roast veggies, grilled fish, cheese and everything you can imagine.
How To Make Tomato Confit
Tomato confit is a simple recipe without a lot of prep or cooking. You place everything in an appropriate dish and leave it to slow cook. There are however a few tips to get it perfect. All you need is peak season baby tomatoes, fresh head of garlic, a few herbs, lemon, lots of olive oil and patience. Tomato confit can be made when tomatoes are not in season or if you’re tomatoes are tart, simply add about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to the dish when you season with salt and pepper to help.
Tomato confit is the perfect condiment to preserve long after summer is over and continue enjoying the flavor of summer. The key to the dish is ripe baby/cherry tomatoes and quality extra virgin olive oil, nothing to fancy and expensive but good flavorful variety.
Ingredients Highlighted
- Tomatoes: I prefer to use baby tomatoes like cherry tomatoes. Make sure they’re fresh, bruise free and plump. You could use larger tomatoes, but they’ll take longer to cook, in that case adjust the time accordingly.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use quality olive oil, nothing fancy, or overly expensive oil, but something fruity, smooth with good flavor. We will be using upto one and a half cup of oil. Because once cooked the tomatoes have to fully submerged in oil to prevent spoilage.
- Garlic: I used a whole head of garlic for this recipe. This is optional but highly recommended to add flavor, if you’re not into intense garlic flavor use just a few cloves as needed. Once the garlic is roasted it turns mellow and easily slips out of the skin and all you’re left with is a creamy and spreadable garlic clove.
- Lemon: I love to add lemon peel or zest for some citrus flavor, this is optional, but adds a really nice citrusy brightness to the confit.
- Fresh herbs and Seasonings: any fresh herbs can be added to the confit. A few sprigs of rosemary, thyme compliment tomato and garlic.
- Seasoning: sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper according to taste is enough for seasoning.
- Heat: sprinkling the tomatoes with a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes along with the seasoning adds a little heat if you like..
- Vinegar: Optionally, add some balsamic vinegar for extra flavor.
Notes For Making Delicious Tomato Confit
- Use an ovenproof baking dish(ceramic, glass or metal) or cast iron skillet.
- Pour enough olive oil into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the tomatoes.
- Nestle in the half garlic heads, lemon peel and herbs into the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and chili flakes if using.
- Cook low and slow until the tomatoes are tender, slightly shriveled, but not bursted; they should be soft, but not falling apart.
- Allow the confit cool to room temperature before enjoying. Transfer the remaining into clean jars and store in the refrigerator. Make sure the tomatoes are totally submerged in the oil.
How to Use Tomato Confit
- Spoon on toasted bread already spread with mashed avocado or whipped soft cheese like feta, ricotta, or cream cheese. Tuck in some peppery arugula or summer fruit for some extra yumminess.
- Try topping guacamole, hummus or labneh.
- Makes an excellent topping for baked salmon or grilled chicken.
- Stir it into risotto, pasta, or cooked grains like quinoa.
- Makes an excellent addition to summer mezze spread.
- Use the oil in vinaigrette once the tomatoes are over.
- Drizzle the flavorful oil on roasted veggies, so good!
Tomato Confit
Equipment
- oven proof Baking dish or skillet ceramic, metal, glass baking dish will work
Ingredients
- 2½-2¾ cups baby tomatoes
- 1 head garlic sliced in half horizontally
- 1 lemon use only the peel or 1 tbsp zest
- 1-1/¼ cups e.v olive oil
- handful of fresh rosemary and or thyme
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Add the baby tomatoes to an oven proof baking dish or skillet. Make sure the tomatoes don't overlap. Nestle the half sliced garlic heads, herbs, lemon peel between the tomatoes. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes so it comes about halfway up the sides of the tomatoes.
- Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes if using, stir to spread evenly.
- Bake uncovered, for 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the size of the tomatoes). Making sure they're not cooked until they start to pop and burst. They should be soft, slightly shriveled, but not falling apart.
- Take them out of the oven and cool in the pan until they're down to room temperature. Transfer to clean jars making sure to cover the tomatoes with enough of the aromatic confit olive oil so the tomatoes are submerged in them. Enjoy!
Do. Discard the garlic and herbs before jarring tomatoes?
Hi Meg, The garlic is very flavorful, smash and add it to pasta, soups or any recipe you like a little garlic flavor. You could leave it out if you want to jar the tomatoes, but please don’t toss them out;)
Hi! Does this need to be refrigerated? I wanted to make this the day before serving.
Thanks!
Hi Kara, Yes I recommend refridgrating it. The flavors develop as the time goes by. Thanks!