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Confit tomatoes and garlic
I make these confit tomatoes and garlic when I’ve got a glut of tomatoes or just need something deeply savoury and delicious on hand. Slow-cooked in olive oil with herbs until soft, jammy, and bursting with flavour, they’re perfect on sourdough, stirred through pasta, or dolloped on salads. I love how versatile they are – a total game-changer for easy weeknight meals or last-minute entertaining. Once you’ve tried them, you’ll never be without a jar in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 1 bulb garlic
- Olive oil
- Thyme
- Maldon sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 120C
- Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven-proof dish - they should fit snuggly.
- Insert as many garlic cloves as you can around the tomatoes.
- Sprinkle with a large pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes.
- Next, pour in sufficient olive oil to come to just below the top of the tomatoes - the tops of the tomatoes should be sitting just above the oil.
- Add a few sprigs of thyme.
- Transfer to the oven and cook for an hour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, either serve or transfer to a jar for storage.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 17Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 59mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Confit Tomatoes and Garlic
Tiktok Inspired Again
If you’re anything like me, your phone is probably full of FoodTok videos you’re never going to make. I watch them the same way some people watch nature documentaries – fascinated, cosy on the couch, full of admiration, absolutely no intention of going outside. The confit garlic ones always catch me, though. Something about the glossy oil and soft golden cloves gets me every time. So last weekend, I caved. But instead of just garlic, I added tomatoes too – because I’d bought them earlier in the week and promptly forgot they existed. And ohhh my goodness. Confit Tomatoes and Garlic is one of those recipes that looks impressive, tastes amazing, and requires so little effort that you can make it half-asleep in your dressing gown.
I made it to go with a nice piece of steak and some crusty gluten-free toast. Nothing fancy, just one of those solo Saturday night dinners that feels a bit like a hug. The tomatoes turned all sweet and soft, the garlic melted into butter, and the oil soaked into the toast in the best possible way. I didn’t even try to be delicate with it – I just smooshed the lot onto the toast and called it dinner. The leftovers went straight into jars and have been making appearances in everything from breakfast eggs to thrown-together pasta bowls. I even caught myself dipping a spoon in just to taste the oil again. It’s that kind of recipe.
Tar-jay, darling
Right, let’s talk about Target. Or as I like to say when I’m feeling a bit fancy – Tar-jay. I hadn’t really paid them much attention since coming back to Australia. I’d mostly been in a Kmart and Myer loop, to be honest. But then one afternoon I found some quirky plant stakes for the garden, and that led me down a rabbit hole into their homewares section. Next thing I know, I’ve got new linen for the blog photos and the cutest glass jars for storing leftovers.
I’m a bit particular about jars. Most of the bamboo lid ones are all style and no substance – you know the type, with those loose suction seals that are just asking for trouble. But these ones have a proper metal twist lid hidden under the bamboo, so they look lovely but actually work. I filled mine with the leftover confit – one with the tomatoes, one with the garlic, and one just for the oil. Because you don’t throw away oil that good. Honestly, they’re now permanent residents in my fridge. I drizzle that oil over everything. Salads, roast veg, even a cheeky bowl of couscous. Target really surprised me. They’ve definitely lifted their game since I was last paying attention.
Content Creation
Now, before anyone says, “You should film that!” I know. I know. I’ve tried. A couple of years ago, I really gave it a proper go – tripods, lighting, the lot. But honestly, trying to cook while filming is harder than it looks. You’ve got to worry about angles, steam fogging up the lens, forgetting to hit record. I once made an entire lasagne and realised I hadn’t filmed a single step. So I shelved the idea and went back to cooking for fun, which is probably how it should be.
That said, I did do a bit of livestreaming on Twitch, and it was brilliant. It felt more natural, more like a chat in the kitchen than a production. People would ask questions, I’d explain things badly but enthusiastically, and we’d all laugh when I dropped a spoon or forgot what I was saying. I really loved it. But my current kitchen is a bit cramped for that setup, so for now, I’m back to writing. Maybe one day I’ll figure out a low-effort way to share video recipes without feeling like I’m filming a cooking show. Until then, I’ll keep making a mess and telling you about it here.
Ingredients Breakdown
This one is beautifully simple. Cherry tomatoes are the star – I used whatever I had in the fridge, and they worked a treat. You’ll want a whole bulb of garlic, peeled but left in whole cloves. The idea is slow cooking everything until it’s silky soft. Add in some fresh thyme – or rosemary, or even oregano if that’s what you’ve got. It’s more about what you like and what’s in the kitchen than sticking to rules.
A good olive oil is key. Doesn’t need to be fancy, just something you like the taste of, because it soaks into everything. A sprinkle of sea salt helps bring the flavours out, and I usually add a few peppercorns too. Sometimes a pinch of chilli flakes if I feel like a bit of a kick. Then it all just sits in the oven on low heat, bubbling away until everything is golden, soft, and delicious. The oil is honestly just as good as the garlic and tomatoes – don’t waste a drop of it. Dunk bread in it. Drizzle it over eggs. Or do what I do and eat it straight from the jar when no one’s watching.
