Confit Tomato and Ricotta Toast

I thought it was time to share something new with you, so I’ve chosen this gorgeous confit tomato recipe. It’s a perfect brunch recipe, especially for a lazy summer weekend when you want something just a little bit special. You can prepare the tomatoes a day ahead then just put it all together at the last minute.

Confit Tomato and Ricotta Toast

(Inspired by a recipe on Mob.com)

Ingredients

500g ripe cherry tomatoes (mixed colours if you can get them)

4 cloves garlic – whole and bashed

1 red chilli

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

Olive Oil

350g ricotta

1 tsp lemon zest

A small handful basil leaves

2 tbs sherry or balsamic vinegar

1 baguette

You will need a piece of parchment paper.

Method

Heat the oven to 180º.

Begin by peeling the tomatoes. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and slash each tomato a couple of times with a sharp knife. Pour the boiling water over the tomatoes and leave for a few minutes. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins of each one and place in a small ovenproof dish.

Add the bashed garlic cloves, thyme, a pinch of salt and a good amount of olive oil. Take the parchment paper and scrunch it up into a ball then open and place over the tomatoes. Put into the preheated oven for about 40 mins.

When everything is cooked, allow to cool then squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin and smash it into the ricotta. Add the lemon zest and mix everything together with some salt and black pepper.

When ready to serve, cut the baguette into 4 pieces – half, then lengthways. Rub over some of the confit oil then toast the bread in a hot pan or under a grill.

Place the toast onto a plate and spread the seasoned ricotta.

Put the tomatoes into a small mixing bowl, add some torn basil leaves, vinegar and a good amount of the confit oil. Season with salt and pepper according to tast, and then pile onto the toast with a little more zest for garnish.

Any remaining confit oil with last for at least a week in the fridge and will taste delicious. You can use in it salad dressings, on vegetables, pasta, with toast and fresh cheese… the possibilities are endless!