Confit is a method of slowly cooking food while fully submerged in oil, well below its boiling point; the oil is a medium for transferring heat evenly, not for frying. Garlic, tomatoes, and fish are among the foods most often cooked confit. Do not leave confit food or its oil at room temperature: refrigerate it, use it within 4 days at most, and freeze any extra.
For frying, oil is at 170–190°C / 340–375°F, and the goal is to brown the surface quickly. For confit, the oil is kept at a much lower temperature. It does not boil at the surface; only occasional bubbles appear around the food. At this moderate heat, the food does not brown but softens slowly and largely retains its own moisture. The oil does not penetrate the food as much as people think; its main job is to transfer heat gently and evenly to every surface. The result is a creamy texture, completely different from fried food.
The most common confit made at home is garlic confit. Put peeled, firm garlic cloves in a small saucepan or baking dish and add enough olive oil to cover them completely. Cook over the lowest heat on the stove or in a 120°C / 250°F oven until the cloves offer no resistance to the tip of a knife and turn light golden; this takes 30–60 minutes. The garlic does not brown; it becomes sweet and loses its sharpness. Tomatoes, peppers, and tuna can be cooked confit the same way. The surface of the oil in the pan should never boil; only occasional bubbles should appear. If using the oven, put the dish on the middle rack.
Garlic confit has many uses in the kitchen. Mash the cloves and spread them on bread, add them to mashed potatoes, soup, or sauce, or mix them into salad dressing. The flavored oil can also be used on its own: drizzle it over pasta, grilled vegetables, and bread. Take care, because both the garlic in the oil and the oil itself now follow the same storage rule. Even after the confit ingredient is removed, the oil is considered to have been in contact with it. You can also mix the mashed cloves into butter to make a spreadable sauce.
The storage rule is brief and clear. After the garlic confit and oil have cooled, put them in a sealed jar in the refrigerator and use them within 4 days at most. For longer storage, portion them into ice cube trays or small containers and freeze them; frozen confit keeps for months, and you can take out only as much as needed. Do not leave it at room temperature, on the counter, or in the pantry. Heat during cooking does not destroy bacterial spores that can multiply in an oxygen-free environment, so refrigeration is the only safeguard.
There are a few other details to keep in mind when making confit. The food must stay beneath the oil; pieces that rise to the surface can brown and cook unevenly. Using an oven instead of a saucepan keeps the heat more stable, because even the lowest burner setting can make the oil boil in some areas. The oil is not waste: strain it, store it under the same rules, and use it in other dishes. If the jar turns cloudy or foamy, or its lid bulges, do not taste the contents; discard them immediately.
Comments (2)
Ev ortamında yağın sıcaklığını o kadar düşük tutmak zor, en kısık ateşte bile fokurduyor. Fırında yapmak daha mı kolay?
Fırın daha kolay ve daha kararlı: doksan ile yüz yirmi derece arasında ayarlanıp kapaklı kapta yapılıyor. Ocakta çalışılacaksa ateş bölücü ya da kalın tabanlı küçük tencere gerekiyor.
Sarımsak konfisini denedim, yağı da sarımsağı da ayrı bir malzemeye dönüşüyor. Kızartmadan farkı bu kadar belirgin olacağını düşünmemiştim. Sarımsak tatlılaşıyor, keskinliği tamamen gidiyor; yağı da makarnaya ve salataya ayrı bir tat veriyor.