# Cherry Tomato Confit (With Bread/Croutons)

**Chef:** Khyaati Jain  
**Cookbook:** Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat  
**Potluck Date:** 18 November 2023  

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**Serves:** 4  

cherry tomatoes, halved

## Ingredients

- 270g (10oz) tomato passata (sieved tomatoes)
- 50ml (2fl oz) warm water
- 70g (2½oz) Kalamata olives, pitted
- 60g (2oz) feta, crumbled
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
- 30 per cent goat’s milk, feta ranges from the very soft, creamy and buttery, to hard, spicy and salty; the
- 350g (12oz) butternut squash, grated (using the big holes of a box grater)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
- 75g (2½oz) pitted green olives, roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp chopped mint
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 100g (3½oz) feta, crumbled
- 50g (2oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Oil, for frying (I use a light olive oil or sunflower oil)

## Method

1. Peel and clean/devein the prawns (shrimp), keeping their heads and tails in place.

2. Season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Place a large, ovenproof pan over a medium heat, heat half the olive oil and sauté the prawns for 1–2 minutes just until they change colour.

4. Transfer to a plate.

5. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and sauté the onion until soft and glossy.

6. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme, stir for another minute, then pour in the ouzo. Give it a couple of minutes to infuse, then add the halved tomatoes, stir and pour in the passata and warm water.

7. Season with a little salt (keep in mind that you’ll be adding feta and olives which are salty) and plenty of pepper, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for 5–8 minutes until the sauce thickens.

8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/410°F/gas mark 6½.

9. Return the prawns to the pan, add the olives and sprinkle the crumbled feta on top.

10. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the feta starts melting.

11. Remove from the oven, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately. Without doubt the best known, most widespread and versatile of Greek cheeses, a PDO product and the star of myriad Greek dishes. Made primarily with sheep’s milk and sometimes an addition of up to more it ages, the harder and spicier it gets. A dry, anise-flavoured liquor which is served as an aperitif or accompanies food. It is made with a grape or grain distillate in traditional copper cauldrons, flavoured with a variety of herbs, seeds and spices. Uniquely Greek (it can only be made in Greece and Cyprus), it is commonly served diluted in iced water.

12. Butternut squash fritters with olives and herbs Fritters made from seasonal vegetables or pulses are prepared in most parts of Greece, using courgettes (zucchini), aubergines (eggplant), potatoes, leeks or mixed leafy greens like spinach and sorrel – even nettles. The islands are particularly big on these kinds of fritters, or pseftokeftedes as they call them, meaning ‘fake meatballs’. They are primarily a result of the ‘poor kitchen’ and of the long fasting periods of the past, when methods were invented to replace meat or other animal products. The fritters are typically fried in order to acquire a crispy outer layer, and although some home cooks now prefer to bake them, I do insist on the traditional fried version – they are delightfully crispy on the outside, moist and fresh on the inside, and they don’t feel heavy or oily at all. The secret for success here is to let the grated butternut drain well and to use plenty of chopped fresh herbs and onions. The fritters are typically served with yogurt or a yogurt-based dip such as tzatziki. Here, I pair it with a simple and versatile minty yogurt dip, which you can use in many other recipes.

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