Cherry tomatoes cooked to perfection with delicious garlic and thyme-infused oil
Confit tomatoes are a wonderful and easy way to produce soft juicy tomatoes that can be used as a topping for toast, served with cheese, mixed into pasta or used to garnish meat, vegetable and fish dishes. The bonus with this Cherry Tomato Confit with Garlic recipe is the confit oil, infused with delicious flavours of tomato, garlic and thyme, it makes a wonderful substitute for your regular drizzling olive oil.
What does confit mean in cooking?
Confit is a traditional French cooking method where ingredients such as vegetables and meats are preserved by submerging them in oil and slowly cooking over very low heat. As long as the ingredient remains completely submerged within the oil and stored at the right temperature it can last for many months.
The science of confit cooking
The oil protects and prevents the infection of harmful bacteria which causes food to become rotten. This method of cooking was invented to preserve ingredients collected in warmer months for storing and eating through the colder seasons.
Note: In contrast to vegetables and meat, confit fruits are submerged and slowly simmered in sugar syrup for preservation.
For more information about the meaning process of confit cooking, scroll to the bottom of this blog for more questions and answers
How to make Cherry Tomato Confit with Garlic
It couldn’t be more simple. Simply gather your tomatoes along with additional ingredients such as whole garlic cloves and fresh herbs and cover them with oil. The ingredients need to be completely submerged in the oil to achieve the correct cooking consistency and adhere to the prevention of bacteria when storing for later use.
The oil is then simmered gently and slowly which allows the tomatoes and garlic to hold their shape and retain natural flavours. The result is the ultimate taste bomb for each particular ingredient in the confit, enhancing taste and texture to their maximum.
How to eat Cherry Tomato Confit with Garlic
- Add to pasta sauces, risotto or polenta dishes
- Served alongside fried or scrambled eggs
- Layered on top of crusty toasted with cheddar, ricotta, feta, cream cheese or any other type of cheese toast
- Served with yoghurt, hummus and other dips such as baba ganoush
- As a side or topping to grilled beef, lamb chicken or fish
- Crushed and used to top nachos, pizza for flatbreads
The garlic and thyme-infused oil can be used to replace your favourite olive oil for drizzling bread, pasta, meats, eggs, vegetables, rice and grain dishes.
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PrintCherry Tomato Confit with Garlic
Confit tomatoes are perfect for topping toast, serving with cheese, mixing into pasta, or used as a garnish for meat and vegetables. The infused oil can be used for drizzling over many additional dishes as well.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 2 – 4 1x
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Confit
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 300g Cherry Tomatoes (or other small tomatoes)
- 6 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
- 4 sprigs on thyme
- Sea salt flakes (preferably Maldon)
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Place tomatoes, garlic cloves, thyme, and a good sprinkle of sea salt flakes into a small saucepan. Cover with olive oil until tomatoes are submerged.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the temperature down and simmer oil for 15 – 20 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and juicy.
- Cool and transfer the confit to an airtight jar, ensuring the ingredients are still fully submerged in the oil.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use. Will last up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Confit tomatoes will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge
- Using olive oil will produce the best results
- When ready to use remove from fridge and allow to heat to room temperature until the oil becomes fluid again.
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Cherry Tomato Confit with Garlic
Confit FAQ – Question and answer below to help you better understand the cooking process
Why is it called a confit?
Confit is a French word that means “preserved.” As mentioned in this article, traditionally in the past vegetables and meats collected during the warmer seasons were preserved in oil to keep stock during the colder months when ingredients were no longer available.
What oil is best for confit?
Olive oil is the best oil for confit. Its all-important quality and texture will help enhance the flavour of ingredients instead of injecting them with grease. Some people like to use rapeseed oil due to its neutral taste and smell.
Is confit cooking unhealthy?
Deep frying in hot oil requires temperatures between 170 – 230°C. This forces the food to cook very quickly. A simple explanation is that the temperature of boiling oil breaks through the surface evaporating the water content inside the vegetable or meat and infusing the inside and out with oil.
Confit cooking uses a much lower temperature ranging between 105°C to 235°C. These temperatures are hot enough to break down the tough connective tissue but not hot enough to force or evaporate the water content and penetrate inside and out the ingredient. This means the meat or vegetable will cook tenderly with little moisture loss and will not contain such a high fat content as deep frying.
Can you overcook confit?
Like any cooking process, it’s possible to overcook with confit. Specific cooking times are required to maintain the structure, texture and flavour of an ingredient.
Does confit need to be refrigerated?
Yes, as soon as the oil has cooled, your confit should be transferred to a sterilised air-tight jar or container and refrigerated. You will need to ensure the ingredients are completely submerged in the oil for correct preservation.
How long does tomato confit last?
Depending on what has been confit, under correct storage requirements as mentioned above, from 1 – 6 months. Confit including garlic is best eaten within 2 weeks however vegetables and meat can last up to 6 months.
