Tomato confit over fried duck eggs. (Alicia Mazzara)Dish of the Week: Anything confit
You’ve probably heard of duck confit, that glorious preparation in which a duck leg is cooked in its own delicious rendered fat. But confit, pronounced “con-fee” from the French word confire, is a cooking method that can actually be applied to a whole host of foods. While duck and goose are traditional, other types of meat, fish or vegetables are also delightful when cooked this way. All you have to do is poach the item slowly and at a low temperature in some kind of fat, be it duck, olive oil or butter.
One of my favorite things to confit are tomatoes, and August is prime tomato season. There are a couple great things about making tomato confit. First, it greatly concentrates the sweet and tangy tomato flavor, similar to a sun-dried tomato, but without that shriveled, leathery texture. Second, it’s ridiculously easy (but your friends will be impressed by the fancy-sounding French name). And while fresh tomatoes go bad after a couple of days, tomato confit lasts several weeks in the fridge, making it a great way to capture the flavors of summer. The cooked tomatoes are fantastic over pasta, eggs, vegetables, bread or with cheese. Also, be sure to save the leftover oil; it makes a great salad dressing or marinade base.
Tomato Confit
2-3 large tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
a couple leaves of basil or sprigs of thyme (optional)
salt
pepper
olive oil
Lay tomatoes, garlic and herbs in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes. Bake in a 275 degree oven for 3-4 hours. To store, put tomatoes in a tupperware or jar and cover with a layer of oil.
Small Bites
Let the Penn Quarter ramen watch begin
After the false promises of Wagamama, we are happy to report on progress at another area ramen bar. Katsuya Fukushima has just been named chef of Daikaya, a ramen and izakaya joint bought to you by the owners of Sushiko. Fukushima has honed his craft at a number of well-established restaurants, including Cashion’s Eat Place, Vidalia and in Jose Andres’ tapas empire. Daikaya is scheduled to open in February.
More sushi for H Street
You’ll soon have another option for dinner in the Atlas District. Hikari Sushi and Sake has taken over a long vacant spot at at 6th and H St NE. No word yet on whether they’ll be competing with Sticky Rice in the tater tots department
Chocolate City gets a beer
Just in time for D.C. Beer Week, the District’s latest local brewery Chocolate City Beer has announced that they will start serving on Thursday. They’ll be hosting a launch party at RFD starting at 9 p.m. All Chocolate City pints will be $4.
Miniature cakes for miniature people
Hello Cupcake is launching a series of children’s cupcake classes and after school workshops at their Capitol Hill store. Kids will learn the basics of frosting and decorating and get to take home a box of their artistic creations. The full class schedule is available on their website.
