Confit Cherry Tomatoes

Confit cherry tomatoes are a delicious side dish or condiment, slightly sweet and caramelized, obtained by slowly cooking the tomatoes in the oven. Here is the classic recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g cherry or datterini tomatoes
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• A bunch of basil or thyme (depending on preference)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sugar
• Coarse salt
• Black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 120 °C (250 °F).
2. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, then cut them in half and arrange them in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cut side up.
3. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them lightly with the side of a knife.
4. Arrange the garlic on the tray among the tomatoes.
5. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little sugar, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and some basil leaves or thyme sprigs.
6. Drizzle everything with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
7. Bake and cook for about 1.5-2 hours, until the tomatoes are wilted and slightly caramelized on the edges.
8. Once ready, remove from the oven and let them cool.

Confit cherry tomatoes keep very well in the fridge for several days and can be used to enrich salads, appetizers, bruschetta, or as an accompaniment to main courses of meat or fish.

Trivia

The word “confit” comes from French and generally refers to foods cooked and preserved in fat, oil, or sugar at low temperature for a long period of time. In the case of confit cherry tomatoes, the oil and sugar work together to preserve them and give them that soft texture and sweet, concentrated flavor that characterizes them.