Lately, I’ve been passionate about confit cherry tomatoes, which are cherry tomatoes cooked in the oven using a low-temperature technique for a rather extended time, covering the surface not only with oil, salt, pepper, and aromatic herbs but also with brown sugar. The term “confit” indeed comes from the French “candied,” so much so that the cherry tomatoes are caramelized to perfection! At the end of cooking, they will be soft, with an intense and sweet flavor, and fragrant! Once you try them, you’ll make them again and again, discovering their incredible versatility! You can use them as a delicious side dish, as an ingredient to add to your cold pasta, savory pies, pizzas, bruschettas, and even as a sauce by blending them with an immersion blender to make incredible linguine like the ones I proposed a few weeks ago! Take advantage of them and start working since they are in season but not for long! Besides, they are so easy to prepare that even a child could do it! They will be your wild card at the table, and you’ll see, they’ll be a hit!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients:
- 1.1 lbs cherry tomatoes (or datterino, piccadilly)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (or granulated)
- to taste dried oregano
- A few sprigs thyme (fresh)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste white pepper
- to taste lemon zest (untreated)
- A few leaves basil (or other thyme)
Tools:
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Knife
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Grater
Steps:
First, wash the cherry tomatoes thoroughly under running water and dry them well with kitchen paper (fig. 1).
Cut them in half and arrange them neatly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut side up (fig. 2). Season with salt, pepper, stripped thyme, and oregano (fig. 3).
Sprinkle with brown sugar or granulated if you prefer (fig. 4), also add the unpeeled garlic cloves and drizzle oil over the entire surface (fig. 5).
Bake in a preheated static oven at 300°F for 2 hours *. When they are well withered, take them out and serve with lemon zest and a few basil leaves or other stripped thyme to taste.
And voilà… your confit cherry tomatoes are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the confit cherry tomatoes, once cooled, in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 4-5 days, covering the surface with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. If you want to preserve your confit cherry tomatoes for more days, transfer them into well-cleaned and sterilized airtight jars, preferably small ones of about 5 oz each, so you can consume them right away once opened. Proceed as follows:
1) Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil at the bottom of the jar, then a layer of cherry tomatoes, then another drizzle of oil and more cherry tomatoes until the jar is full. Press well, add a final drizzle of oil, ensuring that all the cherry tomatoes are completely covered by the oil.
2) Seal tightly and store in the fridge.
In this way, your confit cherry tomatoes will last for about 2 weeks.
Tips and Suggestions
🟣 * If your cherry tomatoes are very small, they will be ready in 1.5 hours, otherwise, it will take longer. The final result should be juicy, well-caramelized cherry tomatoes but not dry, although dry!
