France, especially the north-western region, was famous for duck liver “foie gras”. While the French are not often spoken of as a thrifty nation, they are. After preparing the liver pate, the fattened and obese duck was simmered in its own fat until the meat was detached from the bones.
The most important rule for making confit is slow cooking, indeed even simmering. At a time when electricity prices are skyrocketing, it’s understandable that confit doesn’t get cheaper.
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Can confit be vegetarian? Fans of French cuisine and gourmets will object out loud, because what kind of fat does a carrot have and where can it be stewed? And what kind of fat to drain the tomato? However, if olive oil is used in talc, you can make vegetable confit. The principle remains the same: simmer slowly in fatty substances (in this case, oil).
So what do you need for the vegetable confit? A hot and humid container for stewing sausages, extra virgin olive oil (it is important to savor it before adding it, so that the taste is not too intense, the more neutral the oil is, the better), vegetables and herbs, as well as spices.
Cherry tomatoes, radishes, beans, garlic and other small vegetables are not cut, the larger ones are cut into pieces or flattened into long sticks. Arrange the vegetables in a layer, next to each other and pour the oil over them so that they are all covered. If the vegetables are half cooked, they will need to be turned during cooking.
So arm yourself with patience, set a kitchen timer so as not to forget the confit in the oven. It should be heated to about 100 degrees, and the vegetable oil should be left there for at least 2-3 hours.
The vegetables prepared in this way can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks, they can also be consumed immediately, drain the oil and use it to cook other dishes, because it will be saturated with the aroma of cooked vegetables and aromatic herbs. In other words, the benefits of candied vegetables are two in one!
For hot and hearty jams, but friendly electric bills!
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