Nigel Slater’s recipes for roast shallots with couscous, and lemon cakes

The resulting confit is a preserve of sorts, but made in smaller amounts than jam or orange marmalade. It is sour in the extreme, a contrast to the sweet cake or madeleine or cookie with which it is served. I used it with almond sponge cakes in paper cases, moist and open crumbed, but also wondered about spooning the sticky condiment over a buttermilk panna cotta or spreading it on to crisp meringues before they are sandwiched with cream.