Tomato Confit

5 from 1 vote

Tomato Confit made with cherry tomatoes, whole heads of garlic, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and balsamic, then slow roasted until the tomatoes are jammy and the garlic is soft enough to squeeze right into the oil.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Sauces & Dressings

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Author: Bailey Rhatigan

Equipment

1 9x9 baking dish or similar-sized baking dish

Ingredients

2 lbs cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes any color will work.
2 medium heads of garlic sliced in half horizontally so garlic cloves are exposed for slow roasting (see photo for example)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp lemon zest
½ tsp salt more as needed
½ tsp pepper more as needed
several sprigs of fresh thyme
several sprigs of fresh basil rough chopped for garnish and to infuse the oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°F.
Place cherry tomatoes in a single layer in a 9x9-inch or similar-sized baking dish. Nestle the garlic between the tomatoes.
Pour olive oil into the baking dish, If your dish is larger than the suggested size, you may need more oil. Add balsamic vinegar. Next, add the lemon zest, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and basil.
Slow roast, uncovered, for 1-½ hours (cooking time will depend on the size of the cherry tomatoes, keep an eye on them). Don’t cook the tomatoes until they’ve fully burst. Cook them until they are tender and soft, slightly wrinkled.
Cool tomatoes in the pan until they are room temperature. Pull out the sprigs of thyme, any tomato sprigs and basil leaves, discard them. Gently squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb to store in the tomato confit. Add the oil, tomatoes, garlic to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.
Add to toast, cottage cheese, bread, flatbreads, salad, chicken and more!

Notes

- Cook low and slow. Roast at 250°F for about 1½ hours so the tomatoes soften without completely collapsing.
- Watch the tomatoes, not just the timer. They’re ready when soft, wrinkled, and jammy, but many should still hold their shape.
- Check the garlic, too. The cloves should be completely soft and easy to squeeze from their skins.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 2 cups of tomato confit.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The olive oil will firm up when cold; let it sit briefly at room temperature or gently warm before serving.

Nutrition