Caponata Siciliana
Sweet, sour, eggplant
Sicilian caponata: fried eggplant, celery, olives and capers in a sweet-and-sour tomato agrodolce, served at room temperature.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, cubed and salted
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ cup green olives, pitted
- 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar
- Olive oil for frying
Instructions
- 01
Purge the eggplant. Salt the cubes for 30 minutes, then pat dry so they fry instead of steam.
- 02
Fry in batches. Fry the eggplant in hot olive oil until deep gold, then drain on paper.
- 03
Build the base. Soften the celery and onion, add tomatoes, olives and capers and simmer 10 minutes.
- 04
Agrodolce. Stir in the vinegar and sugar, return the eggplant, cook 5 minutes and cool to room temperature.
Larry’s rule: Caponata is better on day two. Make it the night before and let the vinegar settle down.