Caponata Siciliana (Sicilian Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant)

Eggplant barely shows up in traditional Portuguese cooking, which always struck me as a shame given how much I love the way it turns up in zaalouk (recipe on the site), the Moroccan cousin to this dish. Caponata is the Sicilian version of that same love affair with eggplant, and I picked it up from a neighbor a few towns over who insisted, quite convincingly, that I could not call myself a home cook until I had made it properly.

Caponata is built on agrodolce, the Sicilian sweet-and-sour combination of vinegar and sugar, layered here with fried eggplant, celery, tomatoes, olives, capers, raisins and pine nuts. Its roots trace back through centuries of Arab-Norman influence on Sicilian cooking, which is exactly why it tastes like nothing else on this blog, sweet, sour, briny and savory all landing in the same bite. It is traditionally served as an antipasto, piled onto bread or eaten straight from the bowl with a fork.

Salting and draining the eggplant first keeps it from turning into an oil sponge, and I promise the extra 30 minutes is worth it. This is one of those dishes that genuinely improves overnight in the fridge, so if you can make it a day ahead, do, the sweet-and-sour flavors need that time to settle into each other.

Caponata Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 35 minutes · Total: 55 minutes · Servings: 6 as an appetizer · Calories: ~160 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• Salt, for drawing out the eggplant
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes (or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes)
• 1/3 cup green olives, pitted and halved
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Fresh basil or mint, torn, for serving

Instructions

1. Toss the eggplant cubes with 1 tablespoon salt and let drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat very dry.
2. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant in batches until golden and tender, about 8 minutes per batch, adding more oil as needed. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, add a bit more oil and cook the celery and onion until softened, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
5. Stir in the olives, capers, raisins, and pine nuts. Return the eggplant to the pan.
6. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the red wine vinegar, then pour over the vegetables. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes, stirring gently, until everything is well coated and slightly glazed.
7. Season with salt to taste. Let cool to room temperature before serving, scattered with fresh basil or mint.

Recipe Notes

• Caponata is traditionally served at room temperature, and actually tastes better the next day once the sweet-and-sour flavors have had time to settle, make it a day ahead if you can.
• Salting and draining the eggplant first keeps it from soaking up excessive oil, a step worth the extra 30 minutes.
• Look for capers packed in salt or brine and good Sicilian or Spanish green olives at any well-stocked grocery store or Italian market.
• Serve it as an antipasto with crusty bread, alongside grilled fish, or spooned over a slice of grilled bread as bruschetta.