Confit Tomato & Sambal Dip

When I use the oven to make anything, I will usually rummage the fridge or pantry to see if there is anything else I can throw in to make the most of the oven space. I mean, since I am turning it on, I may as well get bang for my buck right? I usually end up throwing some sweet potatoes or pumpkin in and then use that in salads and lunches during the week.

However, the other day when I was baking the caramel slice, I didn’t have my usual suspects around. I did however have a couple punnets of cherry tomatoes. So, I decided to slow roast them with some shallots and garlic and a tonne of olive oil. This was the inception of this recipe. Later I added the sambal and yogurt to the base. The ingredients in this dip are almost always in my fridge or pantry, this time I just treated slightly differently.

Practicalities aside, this is a gorgeous dip that I’d be proud to serve at any gathering and even eat it on my own with a tonne of warm fresh bread. The tomatoes, garlic & shallots become deliciously sweet and paired with the tangy and herby yogurt, it’s seriously good. Don’t be afraid of the amount of olive oil because that is where the flavour is. As you dip into the bowl, the oil mingles with the yogurt and takes it to a new level. Make this for your next social event or like me on a rainy Sunday at home when a bowl of sunshine and spice is exactly what you need for your selfcare.

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Confit Tomato & Sambal Dip

Ingredients

• 1 medium bulb garlic, one clove separated from the bulb
• 400g cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly cut into 2 cm wedges
• ¾ cup (187 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 teaspoons sambal olek
• ¾ cup (approx. 200g) full fat plain Greek yoghurt
• Small handful (approx. ¼ cup) coriander, stems and leaves, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized stem spring onion, finely chopped
• 8-10 large mint leaves, finely chopped
• Bread to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).
2. Slice a little bit of the top end of the garlic bulb (not the fuzzy root end) to expose the garlic inside. Place cut side down into an oven proof dish*, along with the cherry tomatoes, shallot and olive oil. The olive oil should come up half way up the tomatoes. Bake in preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours or until the garlic is fully softened and tomatoes are blistered**.
3. While the tomatoes are in the oven, place the yogurt, mint, spring onion, coriander. Grate the one remaining clove of garlic into the yogurt and mix well. Season to taste and set aside until ready to serve**
4. Once the tomatoes are cooked, squeeze out the garlic out of its peel. Add the sambal olek and gently stir to combine (try not to break up the tomatoes too much). Mash up some of the roasted garlic as you mix and leave some in large pieces.
5. To serve, spread the yogurt on a large bowl or plate. Spread it in a way so that majority is piled up on the edges of the bowl with a “crater”/hole in the middle. Spoon the confit tomato mixture in the middle and all the flavoured oil as well. Serve with warm fresh bread.

Notes

*Select a dish that fits your tomatoes and garlic fairly snugly. The larger the dish, the more olive oil you will need.

**Tomatoes & yoghurt can be made up to 1 weeks ahead and stored separately in the fridge. Allow both the tomatoes and yogurt to come to room temp before you serve.

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