Amazing Tomato Confit With Herbs

Dollop it on crusty bread with burrata, swirl it into warm pasta, spoon it over grilled fish or chicken, or tuck it into tacos and omelets. Keep a jar in your fridge or freezer — it’s summer’s sunshine in a jar all year long.

Why you will love Tomato Confit

Confit (pronounced con-fee), a French technique from the word confire, meaning “to preserve,” involves gentle, low-temperature cooking in fat (or oil).

While traditional confit often refers to duck, veggies like tomatoes soak up olive oil and herbs over slow heat, turning sweet, rich, and utterly delicious.

• Cherry tomatoes – You can use any tomato, but cherry tomatoes work especially well, thanks to their higher natural sugar content. Grape tomatoes are an excellent alternative, and halved plum tomatoes are also a great choice when cherry tomatoes aren’t available.
• Garlic cloves – The garlic roasts in its skin, which softens the cloves and mellows their bite. Once cooked, the skins slip right off and the sweet, savory flesh is stirred back into the tomatoes.
• Extra virgin olive oil – Together with the juices released by the tomatoes, the olive oil creates the perfect medium for slow cooking. Use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil — this recipe relies on it for flavor.
• Fresh oregano and thyme – Fresh herbs add brightness and depth. If needed, you can substitute dried herbs, but fresh gives the most aromatic result.
• Brown sugar – (optional) A teaspoon of sugar helps balance acidity, especially if your tomatoes are less ripe or slightly sharp. Skip it if your tomatoes are naturally sweet.
• Chili flakes – Just enough for a gentle kick without overpowering the tomatoes. Adjust to taste.
• Sea salt – Season lightly at first and adjust after cooking.
• Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
• Place tomatoes in an oven-safe dish and tuck the garlic between them.
• Sprinkle herbs, salt, chili flakes, and brown sugar over the tomatoes.
• Pour olive oil evenly over everything so the tomatoes are mostly submerged.
• Slow-roast for about 3 hours, gently stirring once or twice.
• Let cool slightly, remove the garlic skins, and gently press the soft garlic back into the tomatoes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Stored in the fridge, it keeps for about a week and even longer in the freezer.

This is where you sprinkle imagination like oregano

• Spoon over toast with feta for instant sophisticated snacking.
• Toss with pasta and parmesan and finish with basil.
• Add to a Greek omelette for a burst of sunshine.
• Use as a condiment for grilled chicken or roasted fish.
• Refrigerator

Store tomato confit in a clean, airtight container, fully submerged in olive oil.

It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

• Freezer

Tomato confit freezes beautifully. Portion it into small containers or ice-cube trays, freeze, then transfer to freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

• Reheating

Tomato confit doesn’t really need reheating. It’s best served at room temperature or gently warmed.

If needed, warm it slowly in a small pan over low heat, just until the oil loosens and the tomatoes soften — do not simmer or boil.

• Food safety note

Always keep the tomatoes covered with oil and use a clean spoon when serving to extend freshness.

Notes

• You can use any tomato, but cherry tomatoes, with high sugar content, work well. The same goes for grape tomatoes. Also, halved plum tomatoes are an excellent choice.
• Brown sugar is optional. A teaspoon of sugar helps break the acid if your tomatoes are more acidic.
• Serve tomato confit with crusty bread, spooned over grilled chicken or fish, tossed with warm pasta or grains, added to salads, or layered onto toast with ricotta or whipped feta.