How to confit… well, anything

By TASTE, 26 September 2018

If you’ve seen the term “confit” on a menu and had a vague understanding of it referring to food cooked in oil or fat, you’re on the right track. Essentially, it’s a preservation method, and almost anything can be cooked this way. Meat, vegetables, fruit, you name it.

The term "confit" comes from the French word “confire”, which means to preserve. Learn how to confit by following the steps below.

Back in the days when there wasn’t refrigeration, food had to be preserved to prevent it from going to waste. It refers to cooking anything in a medium that doesn’t allow the growth of bacteria, thereby preserving it.

A concentrated sugar syrup is usually used for fruit, and a pure fat for meat or vegetables. Choose firm fruit such as pears, quince, oranges or grapefruit. Some recipes call for banana, which adds creaminess.

Confit meat can last for a few weeks in a cool environment, while fruit can last for years. You may think that submerging food in oil and cooking it for a long period of time would result in a greasy, fatty result. It doesn't.

How to confit

The key is temperature. Because it’s cooked at a low temperature for an extended period, the fat doesn’t get hot enough for the food to dry out or become crisp.

Think low and slow, not fast and furious.

Try: confit tomatoes in garlic-and-anchovy oil, confit garlic or confit fruit.

How to confit

TASTE

Article by TASTE

The TASTE team is a happy bunch of keen cooks and writers, always on the look out for the next food trend or the next piece of cake.
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