16 August 2022

What’s On My Table – With Alexandra Dudley

Alexandra Dudley is a food columnist, cookbook author and host of the Come For Supper podcast. In this monthly column, she takes us inside her east London kitchen to show us what she’s cooking and the tools she’s loving. This time, it’s her favourite dish to cook when the weather’s hot – plus, three of her top entertaining accessories…

By Alexandra Dudley

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Confit tomatoes is one of my favourite things to eat and something I make on repeat when the weather is warm. It is particularly delicious served with a blob of burrata or mozzarella and scooped up with focaccia or sourdough. I love to eat it cool (or at room temperature).

This dish would be delicious with any dry white wine, but I’ve been loving the selection of spritzers from The Uncommon recently. They are slightly less alcoholic and wonderfully refreshing – my pick is this new elderflower spritz.

Confit Tomatoes With Garlic & Rosemary

Serves

Total Time

2 Hours 10 Minutes

Ingredients

5 bunches of tomatoes on the vine (or as many as can fit in your largest deep baking dish)

1-2 bulbs of garlic

Olive oil

Salt

1 handful of fresh rosemary sprigs

To serve

Anything you like – but my favourites are burrata, torn mozzarella, fresh pesto, toasted bread or focaccia

Method

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 160°C Fan.

Step 2

Place your tomatoes into a large deep baking dish. Peel your garlic cloves and dot these evenly among the tomatoes.

Step 3

Pour over enough olive oil to almost cover the tomatoes (about two-thirds of the way).

Step 4

Season generously with sea salt and sprinkle over your rosemary. I like to use a mix of roughly chopped and whole sprigs.

Step 5

Cook for about 2 hours until the tomatoes have slightly shrivelled in their skins and are charred in places.

Step 6

Allow to cool slightly and enjoy. I love them with warm or toasted bread and burrata or mozzarella. They are also delicious on toast.

Step 7

Keep the oil for dipping, dressings or drizzling.

3 Things Alexandra’s Loving This Month…

Serving Platter, £80 | Hot Pottery

I love to use large platters when entertaining or even when it’s just the two of us. This is one of my favourites and it’s handmade in Italy. They come in other fantastic colours too.

Visit HotPottery.co.uk

Vintage Plates | Mason & Painter

I have an insatiable appetite for vintage plates. I love to use them mix and matched on the table and they are especially lovely during summer. Mason & Painter is one of my top destinations for vintage crockery. You can buy it online or in store at the shop on Columbia Road.

Visit MasonAndPainter.com

Parisian Blue Linen Napkin, £7.50 (was £10) | The Linen Works

Everyone should have a set of staple napkins and these are mine. I love the slightly muted blue as it goes with everything. They wash excellently too.

Visit TheLinenWorks.co.uk

For more from Alexandra, follow @AlexandraDudley or visit AlexandraDudley.com