Confit cherry tomatoes, garlic or shallots

Makes 1 large jar

For the base mixture

— 550ml olive oil

— 1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled — 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme

— 2 fresh bay leaves — generous sprinkle of sea-salt flakes

— 1 tbsp black peppercorns, roughly ground — rind of ½ lemon, pared

For confit cherry tomatoes

— 5-6 large vines of good-quality cherry tomatoes

For confit garlic

— 5 garlic bulbs, cloves peeled

For confit shallots

— 400-500g round shallots, peeled First, make the base mixture – this allows you to confit either the tomatoes, garlic or shallots, or you can scale up the basemixture ingredients and make enough for a jar of each.

Begin by pouring the oil into a medium heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish. Place over a low heat. Next, place the garlic, herbs, seasoning and lemon into the oil. Once the oil is hot, but not boiling, add the cherry-tomato vines or garlic or shallots, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes, until either the tomato skins are wrinkled and soft, or the garlic or shallots are softened.

Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then transfer the contents of the pan to a sterilised jar. These will keep for around a month – store in a cool place or keep in the fridge.