The super tasteful Sicilian Caponata. Eggplants in Sicily are not a simple vegetable; they are a special ingredient that creates art in the kitchen.
Bring the scent of Sicilian summer to your table with one of the most popular side dishes on the island: a mix of eggplants, tomatoes, celery, onions, olives, peppers and the inimitable capers seasoned with salt, oil, vinegar and sugar.
Prepared in thousands of ways, used in hundreds of recipes, it is the basis of one of the most popular side dishes on the island: the sicilian caponata.
The breadth of the region allows for many different local versions, one of the most famous is that of Catania.
Bring the scent of Italian summer to your table with this mix of eggplant, tomatoes, pine nuts and the characteristic Sicilian capers.
SERVING:
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 eggplants
- 14.11 oz of tomatoes
- 14.11 oz of ribbed celery
- 0.71 oz of capers
- 2.12 oz of pine nuts
- 1 onion
- 3.53 oz of olives
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil to taste
METHOD
- Prepare the eggplant: Wash the eggplant and cut into small pieces without peeling. Put it in a colander and sprinkle with plenty of salt. Place a plate with a weight on top and let them drain for about an hour.
- Prepare the other ingredients: Cut the celery into logs. Pit the olives. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water and then run them under cold water. Peel them, remove the seeds and coarsely chop them.
- Cook the caponata sauce: Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion until golden. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, then the celery, olives, pine nuts and capers. Cook for another 10 minutes: the sauce should be thick with a good consistency.
- Fry the eggplant: Rinse the eggplant, dry it by pressing into a cloth and then fry it, in two or three batches, in plenty of hot oil. When it is well browned, drain the eggplant and place it on a sheet of paper towel.
- Compose the dish: Combine the eggplant with the sauce, stir and let simmer for a few minutes.
Traditional italian caponata is served cold, at room temperature, sprinkled with basil.
Stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, it keeps well for two or three days, and even becomes more flavorful.
Remember to remove it from the fridge at least an hour before serving.
Buon Mangiata!
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