Roasted Cherry Tomato Confit
This isn't a quick roast. By keeping the oven heat low, you draw out the water in the tomatoes and replace it with olive oil, concentrating their natural intensity.
Patience is your primary ingredient
The oil should never boil or bubble aggressively; it should merely shimmer to slowly cook the fruit without burning the garlic or herbs.
- small baking dish or heavy-bottomed roasting pan
- chef's knife
- measuring cup
What goes in.
- 2 lbcherry or grape tomatoes
- 1.5 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 6 clovesgarlic, peeled and smashed
- 3 sprigsfresh thyme
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/2 tspcracked black pepper
Submersion
The tomatoes must be mostly covered by the oil. If they are poking out, they will roast instead of confit, which changes the texture from jammy to dried.
The method.
Preheat
Set your oven to 300°F (150°C).
Arrange
Place the tomatoes, garlic cloves, thyme, salt, and pepper into your baking dish in a single layer if possible.
Cover
Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes until they are at least three-quarters submerged.
Slow-roast
Slide the dish into the oven and cook for 75 to 90 minutes. Look for the skins to be wrinkled and the tomatoes to have slumped to half their original size.
Cool
Remove from the oven and let them rest in the oil for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Other turns to take.
Spicy Confit
Add two dried red chili pods to the oil before putting the dish in the oven.
Citrus Infused
Add two strips of lemon zest to the oil to cut through the richness.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use the leftover oil for salad dressings or to fry eggs the next morning.
If the tomatoes aren't collapsing, turn the heat up to 350°F for the final 10 minutes.
Store in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator; the oil will solidify, so bring it to room temperature before using.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use less oil?
You can, but the tomatoes won't be as tender. The oil acts as a heat conductor that prevents the sugars from burning.
How long does this keep?
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, it will remain good for up to two weeks.
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