Eggplant barely shows up in traditional Portuguese cooking, but it is central to much of the Mediterranean, from Moroccan zaalouk (recipe on the site) to this Sicilian classic, a sweet-and-sour stew of fried eggplant, celery, olives and capers.
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 the extra 30 minutes is worth it. Caponata improves overnight in the fridge, so make it a day ahead if you can; the sweet-and-sour flavors need that time to settle into each other.
Caponata Recipe
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
- Toss the eggplant cubes with 1 tablespoon salt and let drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat very dry.
- 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.
- In the same pan, add a bit more oil and cook the celery and onion until softened, about 6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Stir in the olives, capers, raisins, and pine nuts. Return the eggplant to the pan.
- 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.
- Season with salt to taste. Let cool to room temperature before serving, scattered with fresh basil or mint.
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