Yellow Tomato Confit Recipes

TOMATO CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, thyme, red pepper flakes and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack and arrange the tomato halves cut-side up on the rack. Cook the tomatoes until shriveled and tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Serving suggestions: Roughly chop the tomatoes, transfer to a serving bowl, top with freshly grated Parmesan and serve with crostini. Use as a condiment for roasted fish or chicken or stir into store-bought tomato sauce to improve the flavor.

TOMATO CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. If using larger tomatoes, such as beefsteak or plum, slice in half; if using cherry tomatoes, leave whole. Place tomatoes in a baking dish in an even layer; add garlic, ginger, and basil. Add enough olive oil to cover. Bake uncovered until soft and brown, 2-2½ hours. (Note: If using small tomatoes, begin checking for doneness after 1 hour.)
• Confit is done when tomatoes are lightly brown and have collapsed. Drain the oil and reserve. Reserve tomatoes; discard the garlic, ginger, and basil. Serve tomatoes on thick slices of crusty bread, with reserved oil for dipping. (Tomatoes will last up to 1 week refrigerated; oil will last up to 2 weeks refrigerated.)

RED AND YELLOW CHERRY TOMATO CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread tomatoes and garlic out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with rosemary, crushed red pepper, a large pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Bake until tomatoes are wrinkled and fragrant, about 45 minutes, shaking pan once or twice. Transfer tomato pan to a rack to cool. Discard garlic. Use confit in salads, or serve over dishes like pasta, fresh ricotta cheese or polenta, or on grilled meats, fish or fowl.

TOMATO CONFIT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼. Halve the tomatoes and place in a roasting tin with all the other ingredients. Mix everything together with your hands, then arrange the tomatoes in rows, cut-sides up. Roast for 2-2½ hrs, turning the tomatoes over after 1 hr. Can be cooled and kept in the fridge for up to a week.
• Tightly pack the confit tomatoes and tray juices into 300ml jars within 1cm of the tops and screw on lids that have been boiled for 10 mins.
• Place in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a heatproof plate covering the base. Pour in enough water to cover the jars, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 45 mins. Turn off the heat and leave to cool in the water.
• Wipe the jars and store in a cool place for up to 6 months. After opening, use within a week.

SANTA BARBARA SPOT PRAWNS WITH TOMATO CONFIT, GARLIC, AND CHILE

Steps:

• Use kitchen scissors to cut the shells of the spot prawns down their backs, from the base of their heads to the tip of their tails. (Don't remove the shells.) If the prawns are wet, dry them with paper towels.
• Heat two heavy-bottomed sauté pans over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Swirl 2 tablespoons olive oil into each pan, and carefully place the prawns in the pans, on their sides. (You will need to cook the prawns in batches to avoid overcrowding them.) Season each batch of prawns with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Pour another 2 tablespoons oil into each pan, and cook about 5 minutes, until the shells get some color and the flesh begins to turn opaque on the first side.
• Turn the prawns over, drizzle another 2 tablespoons oil into each pan, and season the second side of each batch with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook another 3 minutes or so, until the prawns are just cooked. (You can peek inside the cut shell to see that the flesh is completely opaque.)
• Remove the prawns to a platter, and turn the heat under both pans down to medium-low. Divide the shallots, thyme, and sliced chiles between the two pans. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook 2 minutes, until the shallots are translucent, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the flavorful shrimp bits. Divide the garlic between the pans, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots and garlic are soft and just starting to color. Turn the heat back up to high, and add half the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper to each pan. Taste for seasoning, and cook a minute, stirring often.
• Spoon the hot yellow tomato confit onto a large warm platter.
• Add half the prawns, sliced parsley, oregano, and the two basils to each pan, and roll the prawns in the cherry tomatoes to coat well. This final step is a little cumbersome but really helps coat the prawns in the cherry tomato sauce.
• Arrange the prawns on the platter, and squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over them. Spoon the remaining cherry tomato sauce over the top.
• Serve with lots of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce and juices. The prawns would also be great with steamed rice or over pasta.
• Yellow Tomato Confit
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Scatter the red onion, chiles, garlic, and basil and oregano sprigs in a baking dish. Core the yellow tomatoes and place them, stem side down, on top of the onions. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, and pour the olive oil and 1 cup water over the tomatoes.
• Cook the tomatoes in the oven about 50 minutes, until they soften and blister. Remove the pan from the oven, and let cool 10 minutes. Strain the tomatoes and onions over a bowl, saving the juice. Discard the herbs and half the chiles.
• Transfer half the tomato mixture to a blender with 1/2 cup of the liquid. (You will need to purée in batches.) Process at the lowest speed until the tomatoes are puréed. Pour in more liquid, a little at a time, until the tomato confit is the consistency of heavy cream. Turn the speed up, and blend about a minute, until completely smooth. Transfer to a container, and repeat with the second half of the tomatoes. (You may not need all the liquid.) Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Taste for seasoning.
• Note
• If you can't find spot prawns, make this summer dish with another type of fresh prawn or large gulf shrimp sold in their shells.
• You can make the yellow tomato confit in the morning. The rest of the cooking must be done at the last minute, but you can get all the slicing and herb-prepping done ahead, so that when it comes time to cook you'll be ready. The spot prawns should be cleaned right before they're cooked and not any earlier. When it comes to sautéing the prawns, for six people you'll need two or three sauté pans, or you can do them in batches. While cooking the shallots and tomatoes in one pan, you could be sautéing the last batch of prawns in the other.