Cooking ‘confit’ is a method of preserving food while intensifying the flavour, producing a result that’s soft and rich. It’s incredibly simple to achieve and the result is a ready-to-go ingredient, which can be added to lots of different dishes, from salads and sandwiches to carpaccios and canapés.
What does confit mean?
Confit is a French word meaning ‘preserved’ and refers to a method of cooking food in fat or sugar water. Foods commonly cooked ‘confit’ are duck, garlic and, of course, tomatoes. Today, the term ‘confit’ is generally used to describe any foods that are slow-cooked in fat.
What temperature do you confit at?
Confit cooking takes place at around 90ºC. This is to ensure that the food is very gently cooked in the fat, rather than frying in it. It can be done on the stovetop, but is easiest if done in the oven as the temperature is more stable.
How do you confit cherry tomatoes?
You won't believe how easy it is to make something so delicious...
Metric
Imperial
- 1kg cherry tomatoes, cut in half or left whole
- extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 90ºC fan
Arrange the tomatoes cut side up in a roasting dish in a single layer. Cover with extra virgin olive oil until the tomatoes are half submerged
Transfer to the oven and cook for 1–1.5 hours, or until the tomatoes are very soft and slightly shrivelled
Allow to cool, then store in airtight containers, submerged in their oil in the fridge
How do you store confit tomatoes?
Confit tomatoes should always be stored in the fridge, submerged in their oil. They can be kept this way for up to two weeks.
How do you use confit tomatoes?
Confit tomatoes are incredibly versatile and will work well in place of fresh tomatoes in most dishes. Try using them in salads with other summer ingredients, such as peaches, cherries and fresh leaves, and cheeses, such as Parmesan, burrata or stracciatella. They also add another dimension to sandwiches - we love them in a BLT - and would also be fantastic inside a stuffed picnic loaf.
Use them to top hummus or yoghurt to make a speedy but delicious dip, or serve them on toast with a creamy base of cream cheese, goats’ cheese, or whipped ricotta. They make an effortless sauce for pasta, simply stirred through with some of their oil and topped with basil and Parmesan. They can also be chopped into a sauce, for example a sauce vierge or a light tomato sauce for dressing ravioli.
Confit tomatoes can be baked into dishes such as quiches, frittatas, pies or scones. Try adding them wherever you’d like a burst of intense tomato flavour!
Get in touch
Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.
