Tomato Confit

To peel the tomatoes, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Drop the tomatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water to loosen the skin. About 30 to...See more » To peel the tomatoes, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Drop the tomatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water to loosen the skin. About 30 to 40 seconds. As soon as the skin begins to loosen, remove the tomatoes to an ice-water bath to cool and stop the cooking. Peel the skin away from the tomatoes, cut them in half and cut out the cores. Remove the seeds and cut out any remaining ribs, rough spots, or membranes to leave a smooth tomato. Note: If you are working with large tomatoes you may need to quarter them to remove the seeds. Preheat the oven to 210 degrees F. To prepare the tomato confit, line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Drizzle the foil with some of the extra-virgin olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes on the baking sheets and drizzle with more olive oil, season with salt and pepper, sugar, and the sliced garlic. Top each piece of tomato with a small sprig of thyme. Bake for 2 hours or until the tomatoes are partially dried but still moist. Let cool. Transfer the confit with the thyme, garlic and its oil to a sealable jar. Add more extra-virgin olive oil to the jar, until the tomatoes are completely submerged. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.See less »