Quick word association: When you hear “confit,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you said “duck”, you're not alone—duck leg, salt-cured and slowly cooked in its own fat, is the most common form of confit we encounter in restaurants these days.

Confit is also a great way to make the most of flavor-enhancing alliums such as garlic and cipollini onions. We like to place them in canning jars, cover with a fat such as olive oil, then microwave on low until they take on a tender texture. Use them to flavor soups and salad dressings, spread them over crostini, or mix them into dips.

This technique works for just about any firm, starchy, or sugary vegetable—try potatoes, parsnips, turnips, onion, garlic, squash, carrots, or radish. It won’t work well with fresh green vegetables, and although we love tomato confit, we found that the tomato falls apart when cooked in the microwave. Keep in mind that some vegetables may take longer to cook if you are trying to caramelize them (as with garlic or onions).

For a quick vegetarian dish, try our Microwaved Squash Confit, dressed with hazelnut crumble and ricotta salata.