Eggplant Caponata: The Ancient Recipe

A typical Sicilian dish, perfect with any first or second course. Don't forget olives and capers.

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eggplant caponata recipe
  • Preparation time: 20 minutes
  • Cooking time: 25 minutes
  • difficulty: Bassa

How to prepare eggplant caponata

Very tasty, genuine and healthy, the caponata of eggplant It is one of the typical dishes of Sicilian cuisineComing from the poor tradition, it is characterised by a mix of simple ingredients that are easy to find or grow in thegarden in the garden.

A refined and delicious dish, the ingredients sometimes vary slightly depending on the region where it's prepared. Tradition has it that this dish was brought to Sicily during Spanish rule. Aristocrats used to prepare it with a prized fish, the dolphinfish, called Capone in the local dialect and seasoned with sweet and sour sauce. Those who couldn't afford the delicious fish substituted it with eggplant, and this is the version of the recipe that has come down to us.

Sicilian eggplant caponata recipe (6)

Ingredients

  • 1 kg eggplant
  • 500g of celery
  • 700 g of tomato sauce
  • 3 large onions
  • 4 tablespoons of capers
  • 300g pitted green olives
  • 100 pinenuts
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 1 glass of vinegar
  • 40 grams of sugar
  • Coarse salt

Preparation

  • Wash and dry the celery, cut it into pieces and blanch it for 5 minutes in boiling salted water.
  • Wash and dry the aubergines well, cut them into cubes with all the peelSprinkle them with coarse salt and let them drain in a colander with a weight on top for about an hour. This will remove the bitter juice from the eggplant.
  • Fry the aubergines in small pieces and place them on absorbent paper.
  • Fry the onion and add the tomato puree, let it reduce a little and then add the basil.
  • Combine all the ingredients in a bowl: capers, olives, aubergines, celery, and pine nuts, and season with the freshly made sauce.
  • Proceed with the sweet and sour sauce: dissolve the sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan. Once combined, add the remaining ingredients.
  • According to your tastes, also add the peppers, the chopped almonds, the friggitelli and your favorite vegetables.

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