I want you to take a tasty adventure with an easy dish that will elevate your overall taste – try the tomato confit recipe.
In this blog post, we will discuss the complete preparation process of tomato confit. Later, we will also look at variations, pro tips to level up the taste, storage and freezing tips and much more.
What is Tomato confit?
The tomato confit is prepared by gently cooking the tomatoes in olive oil over a low flame. It also contains garlic, herbs and other seasonings.
The slow cooking process makes the tomatoes tender and provides them with a rich, strong flavour while the oil infuses the essence of seasonings and tomatoes. Tomato confit originated from French cuisine, where ‘confit’ means cooking the food in sugar or fat to preserve it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Intense flavour: The tomato confit highlights the richness and natural sweetness of ripe tomatoes, providing a complex flavour that goes well with any dish.
Versatility: This recipe is versatile. You can try it by mixing it into the pasta, adding it to the salad, or as a topping for crostini.
Easy to make: It is an easy-to-make recipe. It just requires a little effort and simple ingredients resulting in a meal that feels like a special treat.
Preservation power: The slow-cooking process and involvement of olive oil help preserve the confit, so you can enjoy summer tomatoes’ flavour during the off-season.
Tips
- Use ripe tomatoes: Choose ripe tomatoes for better flavour. Overripe tomatoes contain more flavour and sweetness which improves the confit.
- Pat dry: If the tomatoes are too juicy, make sure to pat them dry using a paper towel. It helps in making the flavour stronger.
- Even Cutting: Cut the large tomatoes into evenly sized pieces so that they have a consistent texture and cook evenly.
- Lightly crush garlic: Gently crush the garlic cloves to let them release their flavour into the oil without being too strong.
- Experiment with Herbs: You can try experimenting with herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary or oregano to make the flavour of your preference.
Variations
Balsamic Tomato Confit: You can include a bit of balsamic vinegar in the olive oil. It provides a sweet and zesty flavour that works well with the tomatoes.
- Garlic and Herb Tomato Confit: It mixes fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano and garlic cloves. It provides a lively and nice smell.
- Smoked Tomato Confit: You can add a hint of liquid smoke and smoked paprika. It provides a rich and smoky flavour to the tomatoes.
- Mediterranean Tomato Confit: You can mix olives, capers, and anchovy paste. This variation provides a zesty and salty flavour.
- Sweet Tomato Confit: You can include a little bit of sugar or honey. It makes the tomatoes taste sweeter.
Serving Suggestions
- Crostini or Bruschetta: You can spread tomato confit over toasted slices of baguette or rustic bread. Top it with fresh basil or a sprinkle of sea salt for a delicious snack or appetizer.
- Pasta: You can mix the tomato confit into cooked pasta. You can use it as a sauce by itself or mixed with ingredients such as capers, cheese or olives.
- Salads: You can mix tomato confit into the salads for more texture and flavour. It works well with nuts, goat cheese and greens. You can use the oil from the confit in the dressing.
- Pizza: Whether you have homemade or store-bought pizza, you can top it with tomato confit. It provides a strong tomato flavour that works well with cheese and other toppings.
- Sandwiches and Wraps: You can add tomato confits to the sandwiches and wraps. It works well with cheese, grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.
Storing and Freezing
Storing
- Before storing, let the tomato confit cool at room temperature.
- Ensure to transfer the tomato confit and its oil in a plastic or glass jar air-tight container with tight lid.
- Ensure that the tomato confit is completely submerged in the olive oil. It prevents the tomatoes from spoiling or drying out.
- You can store the tomato confit in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
Freezing
For easier use, ensure to portion the tomato confit into freezer-safe bags or little containers.
Transfer the confit into heavy-duty freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. The container should be tight enough to avoid the freezer burn.
If you are using the containers, ensure to leave some space to allow expansion during freezing.
Label the container or the bag with the date and content to keep track of the freshness.
You can put it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the tomato confit recipe provides a tasty and versatile ingredient which offers a strong and rich flavour. Slow-cooking ripe tomatoes makes a delicious treat that can be used in a lot of ways like mixing it in pasta, or spreading it on crostini or as a pizza topping.
Ensure that the tomato confit is properly stored to maintain its taste and freshness. With the provided tips, you can improve the shelf life. This way the tomato confit can be part of your everyday meal.
Read More:- Crawfish Bread Recipe
Tomato Confit Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes or use larger tomatoes cut into chunks
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary or use dried rosemary if fresh isn’t available
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional, to balance acidity
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set the temperature of the oven to 275 F (135 C).
- If you’re using large tomatoes, you can cut them into pieces. For cherry or grape tomatoes, you can leave them as a whole or halve them if they are large.
- In a big-sized mixing bowl, toss the tomatoes with salt, pepper and sugar.
- Arrange the tomatoes in a layer in a baking sheet. You can top it with fresh herbs and garlic cloves on top.
- Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes until they are mostly coated. Ensure to use enough oil so that the tomatoes are gently submerged, but don’t need to be thoroughly covered.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for around 2-2.5 hours. The tomatoes should be wrinkly and tender, the oil will be fragrant and the tomatoes will have the rich flavor.
- Let the tomatoes cool at room temperature. Then, place the oil and tomatoes in the an-tight container or in a clean jar. You can put it in the refrigerator for up to 15 days.
