Tomato Confit

Preheat the oven to 110 C / 230 F — low, slow, and patient. Halve the plum tomatoes lengthwise and place cut-side up in a single, tight layer in a roasting dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. They should fit snugly — they will shrink considerably. Scatter the unpeeled garlic cloves and thyme sprigs between the tomatoes. Sprinkle the sugar, salt, and pepper evenly over the cut faces. Drizzle the olive oil over everything generously — the oil must coat every tomato face and pool slightly in the dish; it acts as the confit medium, surrounding the tomatoes in fat and preventing them from drying out instead of concentrating.

Roast at 110 C / 230 F for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, checking every hour. The tomatoes will slowly lose their water, shrink, and intensify. Their color will shift from bright red to a deeper, more muted red-burgundy. The cut faces will begin to wrinkle and caramelize into a sweet, tacky surface while the olive oil in the dish turns fragrant and gold. In the final 30 minutes, the surfaces may start to lightly caramelize at the edges. Do not rush this with higher heat — the concentration must be gradual to avoid drying to leather before the sugars develop.

Remove from the oven and add a drop of balsamic vinegar over each tomato if using — the residual heat will soften its edge and let it meld with the oil. Allow to cool in the dish. As they cool, the tomatoes will firm very slightly and the oil will thicken with their released sugars and pectins. The garlic cloves can be squeezed out of their skins and stored with the tomatoes — they will be soft, sweet, and completely transformed.

Transfer the tomatoes and all the scented oil to a sterilised jar, ensuring the tomatoes are submerged. The oil is as precious as the tomatoes — use it to dress salads, drizzle over burrata, finish pasta, or brush on grilled bread. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks. Serve the tomatoes at room temperature or warm for the fullest flavor expression.