Confit tomatoes are tomatoes slowly cooked in oil. They are a delicious, deeply savoury treat, and a great way to use a bounty of tomatoes. They can be left plain, or flavoured with herbs like thyme and rosemary or even spices like ginger. Some recipes err on the sweeter side while others have more of a tang.

Whichever way you choose to make them, they’re worth making in a big batch, as they often need to be cooked for several hours - or even overnight, as with Alan Murchison’s recipe for lamb with couscous. However other chefs such as Matthew Tomkinson favour a fresher tomato confit, only cooking the tomatoes for 10–20 minutes in his gnocchi and halibut recipes.

However you make them, confit tomatoes are great as the base for a tomato risotto, tomato vinaigrette or in the place of sun-dried tomatoes in a salad.