Cheesy Tomato Confit with Fennel, Thyme and Five Spice
Slow roasting cherry tomatoes in olive oil renders them so unctuous and sweetly delicious and is a classic way to show off tomatoes all year long. I’ve cheesed it up by adding a very soft ripe cheese into the baking dish— the residual warmth of the oil will warm and slowly melt the cheese creating a perfect bite. I recommend cheese that comes in very small wheels (approximately 4.5-6 oz). Think triple cream varieties like Epoisses, Delice de Bourgogne, Brillat-Savarin, Saint Andre or Brie as well as any super creamy goat cheese varieties. This recipe is super versatile— I love it simply served on good country bread, but the entire shebang can most definitely be tossed with pasta or even grains like farro.
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
2 quarts cherry tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp five spice
1 tbsp whole fennel seeds
1 4.5-6 oz wheel of soft ripe cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Crusty bread, for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 300F.
Arrange cherry tomatoes in a baking dish or cast iron skillet in a single layer and add garlic, thyme, brown sugar, five spice and fennel seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil— enough so that tomatoes are half submerged. Gently toss to coat and make sure thyme is mostly submerged in the oil.
Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until tomatoes are wrinkled and only some are burst.
Remove from oven and immediately nestle cheese in the center. Spread warmed cheese and tomatoes onto bread and serve.
