If you’re familiar with the NYC dining scene, you may have already visited King, an understated-yet-chic Manhattan restaurant that takes cues from Southern French and Italian traditions. But if you haven’t had a chance to be charmed by King in person, we’ve got the next best thing: The King Cookbook, an elegant compilation of the restaurant’s most popular recipes. And tucked among the elevated bites is a stunning recipe for a versatile veggie that’s a lot easier to make at home than you might think: confit tomatoes.
What exactly does it mean to “confit” something? It’s an old-school French technique through which you slowly cook a meat or veggie in oil or fat, then store in that same oil, thereby preserving it. Confiting tomatoes causes them to soften and collapse in the most lovely way, turning them into a jam-like savory spread. (The oil in which they’re cooked becomes a pretty incredible condiment, too.)
And how do you serve these bad boys? According to King’s owners — Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt, and Annie Shi — any which way. “We spoon these (with their oil) over meat or fish, sometimes adding chopped olives and soft herbs to this drizzle as well,” they write in the cookbook. “The variations are infinite…” We especially love the idea of using the resulting tomato oil in a savory salad dressing. But we might just break out some fresh, crusty bread and use this splendid condiment as a restaurant-worthy dip.
“This is probably summer’s most versatile, lowest-effort dish. It scales up or down effortlessly and never fails to impress,” say King’s owners.
But ideally you won’t use just any tomato. “Use whatever variety of tomato is at peak ripeness, and confit many more than you think you need,” King’s owners write. “The recipe below calls for larger tomatoes — dramatic showstoppers. But we also apply this formula to small or baby tomatoes, covering them with oil and gently cooking them until they puff and soften. With smaller varieties, like cherry or Sungold tomatoes, reduce the cooking time by about 20 or 30 minutes.” Considering that cherry tomatoes are typically in supermarkets year-round, you might want to use them instead of heirlooms, to get a little taste of summer during any month you please.
Confit Tomatoes
Serves 8 to 12
Ingredients
- 7 pounds large ripe heirloom tomatoes
- A head of garlic, cloves separated but skins left intact
- 2 large handfuls basil leaves
- Salt
- Olive oil (at least 6 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the tomatoes in a deep roasting pan large enough to hold them in a snug single layer, and add the garlic cloves, basil, and a few generous pinches of salt. Pour enough olive oil into the dish so only the tomatoes’ very tops are exposed (the upper 1⁄2 inch or so). Roast the tomatoes in the oven until the oil simmers, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and confit the tomatoes until they fully soften but still hold their shape, about 45 to 55 minutes more (really, though, this depends on size!). To test, pierce a tomato with the point of a knife at its thickest point: It should meet no resistance.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the tomatoes cool in their oil for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Once the tomatoes disappear, strain the tomato oil and
keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Copyright © 2025 by Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt and Annie Shi. Reprinted with permission of Flatiron Books. All rights reserved.
