Tried & Tested: Confit tomatoes with 'The Mighty Biferno'
Laura on 3 Mar 2015
'The Mighty Biferno' is a brilliant red wine that anyone can enjoy - great with food, a reasonable price, and very easy drinking. Recommended with Italian food; pizza, pasta, and tomatoes, I thought there was no better time to give a new recipe and wine match a go than the launch of our Italian wine promotion.
Based on recommendations across the board from the likes of Victoria Moore (The Telegraph), Olly Smith (The Daily Mail), and Angela Mount, I chose a tomato dish to pair with this wine. I didn't want to go for too basic an option, so started searching for rich tomato based dishes. After scouring the internet a little, I came across a recipe for confit tomatoes, and was immediately interested. Essentially just juicy tomatoes, garlic, thyme and oil cooked in its own juices for 3+ hours I knew I was onto a winner. If you have the patience to try this pairing out, I would highly recommend. The smell of the roasting tomatoes and garlic alone is enough to entice anyone - and you can always have a taste of the wine while you wait!
The subtle fruitiness balanced by a peppery spice, keeps the wine from tasting too sweet, working perfectly well with the richness of the confit tomatoes. With a sweet flavour of their own, and slight nuttiness from the roasted garlic, and fragrant thyme, the two go hand in hand. A perfect wine to kick off a casual dinner with friends, alongside some rustic bread, a selection of Italian meats, and a couple of jars of these tasty tomatoes.
Ingredients (makes 3 x 300ml jars)
- 1kg plum tomatoes, halved
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- good handful fresh thyme
- 100ml olive oil, plus extra
- 2 tbsp balsamic or sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 110C. Mix all ingredients together and place in a roasting tray with tomatoes cut-side up, and evenly spread out. Roast for 2.5 hours, turning tomatoes upside down half way through.
- In your jars, tightly pack the roasted tomatoes, juices and other ingredients, leaving 1cm space at the top and screw on the lids.
- Place in a large saucepan, with enough water to cover the jars. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 mins. When finished, allow the jars to cool in the water.
- Jars can be left in a cool place for up to 6 months. Once open, make sure you use them up within a week.
Biferno Rosso Riserva DOC, Camillo De Lellis 2010
£8.50 £7.48 (+10% off 12+ bottles)
Promotional prices above valid until March 31st
By Olivia Moore