Caponata
Caponata
Sweet-and Sour Eggplant with Celery, Capers, and Olives
Sicily’s famous sweet-and-sour relish may be most associated with eggplant—it is the main ingredient—but when I was learning to make caponata, my teacher Giacomo reprimanded me for not giving the celery its due. I didn’t take it personally. One of the main ways I have learned about traditional cooking in Sicily (and everywhere else in Italy) has been through being shamed about not knowing the exact way to make something according to that particular family’s traditions. Celery delivers so much more flavor and structure to the caponata than the eggplant, so I was listening. Next, he admonished me for using too much tomato, which he told me was a recent addition dating back only a century and a half, at most. And he had read a theory that the original recipe featured fish and that eggplant was used as a substitute by peasants (not unlike in the melanzane a quaglia recipe on page 55), giving us the now common eggplant version. This recipe uses very little tomato, relying on vinegar for an acidic note. I prepare caponata at least a day ahead to ensure all the flavors have married and mellowed.
Ingredients (11)
Ingredients (11)
Instructions
Place the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle all over with salt, then set aside to drain for an hour.
Rinse and pat dry.
Heat 1 1/4 cups of the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
When the oil begins to shimmer, add the eggplant, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Cook until soft and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Use more olive oil as needed.
Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the onion and celery to the same pan with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil over low heat. Season with salt and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 20 minutes.
When the onions are close to being cooked, add the almonds, capers, and olives and cook until the almonds are fragrant.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture to the bowl with the eggplant.
Add the tomato to the same pan, season with salt, and cook until it has lost its raw flavor, about 10 minutes.
Add the vegetables to the pan with the tomato sauce, then pour over the vinegar and sugar (2 Tbsp). Stir to combine, then simmer for 2 minutes to marry the flavors.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight before serving. The caponata will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
This recipe is part of the Food of the Italian Islands digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
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