Confit cherry tomatoes – slow-cooked with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Eat them atop toast, pasta, and salads. And the leftover herb oil makes for a killer salad dressing.
Well, the big question comes to – what are confit tomatoes and how are they different than all the other kinds of baked cherry tomatoes? And yes, there have been many! Perfect in a caprese salad or roasted to a gorgeous char as you make Ottolenghi’s (famous) tomatoes – cherry tomatoes are not just versatile but pack insane amounts of flavours as well.
I think I am going to make a list of my favourite cherry tomato recipes soonest!
What is confit?
Confit is a traditional French technique of preserving by slowly cooking in any liquid. This technique was used as a way of preservation in olden times. If you love fine dining, you have probably spotted a confit duck leg with jus, and indulged in the delicacy.
Confit tomatoes are punchy, and pack so much flavour. Top them on pastas, risotto, Margherita pizzas, salads and my favourite – TOASTS! The possibilities of usage are endless. The leftover olive oil can be used as a salad dressing since it is already infused with garlic and herbs. And yes, that’s exactly what I did with my leftover olive oil.
How are confit tomatoes different from blistered tomatoes or charred tomatoes?
Blistered tomatoes are cooked on extremely high heat for a short duration. And confit, the exact opposite. For that beautiful char, tomatoes are cooked on medium heat, then switched to high heat with only the top grill of the oven.
Cooked on extremely low heat, without any disturbances, confit cherry tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape. The tomatoes should be placed comfortably in your baking dish, without overlapping.
Check out this super simple and quick blistered tomatoes pasta. And the best ‘charred tomato’ dish you can whip up is Ottolenghi’s tomatoes. However, I did try a tomato and burrata salad recently that acts as the perfect side dish for your Italian feasts. Coming soon!
What do you need for confit cherry tomatoes?
- Cherry tomatoes – you can use heirloom tomatoes, on a vine, or just the regular ones. You might have to check for the tartness and add some sugar to balance in case the tomatoes are too tart.
- Garlic – whole garlic pods, confited with the tomatoes – what more could you ask for?
- Herbs – you can either use fresh or dried herbs – a herb mix or thyme, oregano, and rosemary
- Basil – Fresh basil is a must, it adds the much-needed freshness
- Extra virgin olive oil – use only good quality EVOO as the tomatoes will cook in the oil and eventually will be stored in it as well. Good EVOO adds a lot of flavour to the confit tomatoes.
Try this perfect toast – spread labna on a toast, top with fresh basil pesto, and add the confit tomatoes and everything but basil seasoning. Enjoy!
Liked this one? You are sure to enjoy –
Tomato and zucchini galette
Baked feta and cherry tomatoes
Chunky tomatoes and mushroom bucatini
Confit cherry tomatoes
Ingredients
- 200 g Cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 10 nos Garlic pods peeled
- 10 nos Fresh basil
- 1 tsp Dried herbs
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- ½ tsp Salt or more according to your taste
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes and garlic in a baking dish so that they aren't overlapping. Add the basil leaves, evoo, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- In a pre heated oven, bake the tomatoes for 1.45 hours at 150°CIf they haven't become soft, you can bake for another 15-20 minutes.
- Cool it down and store for upto 2 months in an airtight container.
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