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Authentic Sicilian Caponata Recipe (Classic Eggplant Dish)
Caponata is one of the most famous dishes in Sicilian cuisine. It's a rich sweet and sour eggplant dish made with fried eggplant, celery, onion, tomato, green olives, capers, vinegar, and sugar. The result is colorful, fragrant, and full of Mediterranean flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggplants
- 1 large white onion - thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted capers - rinsed well
- 200 g pitted green olives - 1 cup, sliced or roughly chopped
- 50 g pine nuts - 3 tablespoons
- 150 ml tomato passata (strained tomatoes) - ⅔ cup
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 60 ml white wine vinegar - ¼ cup
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- vegetable oil - for frying, such as peanut or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt - for purging the eggplant
- fine salt - to taste
- ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- First, prepare the eggplants. Wash and dry them, then cut them into small cubes. Place them in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let them drain for at least 30 minutes.This step helps remove excess moisture and any slightly bitter taste from the eggplants.
- Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Wash the celery, cut it into small pieces, and blanch it in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Rinse the salted capers under cold running water to remove the excess salt, then pat them dry. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes, just until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the white wine vinegar with the sugar. Stir well and set aside. This mixture will give the caponata its typical sweet and sour flavor.
- After 30 minutes, rinse the eggplants well under cold water to remove the salt. Pat them very dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the eggplant cubes in batches, a few at a time, until golden and tender.
- Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Set aside.
- Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large pan. Add the sliced onion and cook over medium heat until soft and lightly golden.Add the blanched celery and the capers. Stir and cook for a few minutes, allowing the flavors to blend.
- Add the green olives and toasted pine nuts, then pour in the tomato passata. Stir well.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.Taste and add a little salt only if needed, since the capers and olives are already savory.
- Pour in the vinegar and sugar mixture. Increase the heat slightly and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the strong vinegar aroma has evaporated and the sauce has a balanced sweet and sour flavor.
- Turn off the heat and add the fried eggplants. Gently mix everything together, being careful not to break the eggplant pieces too much.
- Transfer the caponata to a serving dish and let it cool first at room temperature, then in the refrigerator. Sicilian caponata is traditionally served cold or at room temperature. It's even better if made a few hours ahead, or the day before, so the flavors have time to blend.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 5gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 2160mgPotassium: 751mgFiber: 10gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 357IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg
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