Confit of Vegetables
Confit is one of the oldest techniques for preserving food. Before refrigeration, a thick, air-tight layer of fat was used to keep cooked and salted meat preserved for months. Today it is most commonly used for duck legs, a preparation from the southwest of France and an essential ingredient in classic cassoulets. Garlic and tomato confit, two other secrets of the region’s cuisine, are also popular methods of conserving summer’s bounty.
Confit (pronounced kon-FEE) comes from the French word confire, which means to preserve. It can be used to describe almost anything, including fruits or vegetables, cooked low and slow in a liquid inhospitable to bacteria. The liquid preserves and adds flavour. For fruits, it is usually a highly concentrated sugar syrup — giving us French confiture and English “confection.”
Making a meat confit involves slow cooking in a pure fat at temperatures much lower than those used for frying. This allows the collagen in connective tissues to dissolve and enrich the meat, resulting in a silky texture and concentrated flavour.
You can achieve similar results, and in less time, using vegetables. Root vegetables such as potatoes, turnips and beets hold up well to the treatment, as does other sturdy produce, such as Brussels sprouts, fennel and mushrooms. Alliums (garlic, leeks, shallots, onions and company) mellow into great confit condiments for adding flavour to any savoury dish.
The recipes here are easily adaptable. Mix and match herbs to your palate and experiment with the technique using your favourite fall vegetables. Confit will keep for weeks in the fridge, providing insurance against boring meals. Use it to jazz up pasta or pizza, add a melty mouthful to soups or sandwiches, or just spread over toast, drizzled with the reserved oil.
Confit vegetables — suspended in their golden oil in a pretty jar— are also fun foodie gifts and a perfect grab-and-go item for holiday parties and potlucks.
Tomato Confit
3 pounds Roma or cherry tomatoes
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
8 sprigs fresh thyme
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
¼ teaspoon ground coriander, optional
Preheat the oven to 275F. Slice the larger tomatoes in half and leave the small ones whole and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, add the tomatoes and gently toss tocombine. Pour into a rimmed baking pan, or divide between two pans if it feels too crowded. Place any sliced tomatoes with the skin side down, seeds and flesh pointing up. Slow roast in the oven for 2 to 3 hours, longer for larger tomatoes.
Remove from the oven and let the tomatoes cool completely in the pan with the oil. Remove the thyme sprigs and serve at room temperature, or store the tomatoes with the oil and juices in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. You can reheat the tomatoes with oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Mushroom Confit
1½ pounds assorted mushrooms
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 275F. Wipe mushrooms clean of debris and trim off any unwanted stems. Heat a Dutch oven or large, oven- safe skillet over medium heat. Heat ½ cup oil in the pan, then add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to brown. Add the rest of the oil, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary and peppercorns to the pan and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the salt and red wine vinegar, toss to combine and let it cool completely.
To serve immediately, spoon the mushrooms out with a slotted spoon. To store, spoon the mushrooms into a glass jar with a slotted spoon. Strain the remaining oil through a fine mesh strainer into the jar and discard the herbs. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Allium Confit
2 to 3 pounds mixed alliums (garlic, green onions, leeks, shallots)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 sprigs fresh oregano
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven to 275F. Slice leeks and shallots in half if they are extra large. Peel the garlic cloves. Place the mixed alliums in a large rimmed baking sheet or 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Tuck the herbs and garlic cloves in between the larger items, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour the olive oil over everything. Bake for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until onions and leeks are very tender and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and mix in the red wine vinegar. Let it cool completely in the pan. Remove the herb sprigs and store in a glass container with all of the oil for 2 to 3 weeks
