suggestion. From the first bite, I was hooked. I can confirm that caponata definitely improves in the following days. Get David's newsletter sent right to your Inbox! oil on a baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.. I just see recipes that call for heating up a pan with a lot of oil and panic. Claudia lives in magnificent Rome. However, there I was, heatingoil in my cast iron skillet and frying up the eggplant for this caponata. Add olives, capers, and 2 tablespoons sugar and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, then stir in vinegar and tomatoes. Heat remaining cup oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant in 2 batches, turning occasionally with tongs, until tender and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. It is my own recipe that I prepare often in the summer but sometimes in the colder seasons as good vegetable are available in Italy all year around and good Sicilian tomatoes can be found in the winter. Our favorite lunch is a nice thick slab of rustic bread, grilled, with a slather of good goat cheese, topped with caponata. Top with a plate weighted down with several large cans; let drain for 1 hour. Pit and halve 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until just tender, about 30 minutes. 1 Toss eggplant in 1 tbsp salt and set aside to draw out moisture (15-20 minutes). hmm I have lived in Belgium for nearly 12 years (as of tomorrow) and have often seen people eat celery (and grow it too) and only seen traditional ratatouille (I have seen individuals eat canned ratatouille straight out of a can though eeew) maybe there are regional differences in play? I have made this 3 weeks in a row because eggplant is abundent right now. And Im wondering how you get so much into the focal plane in your close ups. I was married to a Sicilian and the food there is fabulous. Favorite Paris pastry and chocolate shops, https://www.davidlebovitz.com/my-food-photogr/. Had I olives or capers in the house it would have been even better. Toss eggplant with 2 Tbsp. This simple ratatouille recipe combines summer vegetables into an easy, flavorful stew that can be served as an appetizer, main, or side dish. A blog, a newsletter, and a book series for lovers of all things Italy! I love it too.a summer favorite here in NJ (a lot of Italian Americans live here). Eggplant Caponata A spiky, sweet-and-sour combination of eggplant, celery, onions, capers, and olives. Couldnt disagree more about ratatouille though. Caponata is a Sicilian sweet and sour version of ratatouille. Yes, I tackled fried chicken in duck fat, but deep-frying at home isnt my thing. Yum, yum. Agood tip I learned is to cover the surrounding stove area, including the stove and oven knobs, with aluminum foil, to lessen clean up. Or mix with other veggies. BTW - photo includes items not in recipe - green olives and I think peppers. It is I am thinking, delicious. ), and Ive never attempted it for same (and other) reasonsthis is an interesting recipe; looks good! Some also addtoasted pine nuts along with the raisins, which are an option, although the good ones have gotten so expensive that theyve become a luxury. Caponata keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week. Add to tomato sauce with capers, currants and 80ml water and simmer for flavours to marry (5-10 minutes). Roast, turning occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 2530 minutes. There are variations of this tasty eggplant salad. Add oil little by little, when you see that the skillet is absolutely dry. I am not a fan of capers. tuh, it is a vegetarian eggplant salad--more like a relish, really--made of eggplant, onions, bell pepper, celery and tomatoes with briny olives and capers. I always forget to make companata even though grandpa always made it along with his gardeniera! Cook, stirring, until just about tender, about 8 minutes. Thank you David, again!!! This recipes is an A+! And frying the eggplant in the oil ended up not being nearly as messy as deep-frying and the clean-up took just minutes. I dont know if theyre traditional in caponata either. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. If you want to add them, they could be added in step 4, along with the celery and other ingredients. Doris Jacobson of Anaheim, California, writes: "I host many family gatherings, and I always get requests for my lemon bars and my caponata appetizer. Caponata recipes 9 Recipes Magazine subscription - your first 5 issues for only 5! Eggplant nights were my favorite: cheesyparmigiana, stuffed eggplants, orpasta con le melanzane. and will try oven roasting with generous olive oil next time. I used two large eggplants, a large onion, a lot of garlic, five celery ribs, a box of chopped tomatoes, , chopped basil, Italian seasoning, chopped fresh thyme and high quality balsamic vinegar. The dish is cooked with olives, capers, and olive oil. This recipe is from the March 2013 issue of . There are numerous variants of caponata, some including pine nuts, raisins, and carrots. love your recipes, blogs and cookbooks!! This sounds great, cant wait to try it. Thank you for the recipe. Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, raisins, honey, bay leaf and crushed pepper flakes. Season to taste. Add the tomatoes to the pan with about teaspoon salt and a pinch of sugar. I use a timer! If youre fortunate to get good tomatoes where you are and want to make your own tomato sauce, Ive linked to Fabrizias salsa pronta recipe at the end of the post. Mom (Sicilian) never made caponata (? Served with crusty Italian bread and a salad, or with a cheese plate and a few bruschettas, the Sicilian eggplant caponata recipe was a delicious dinner saver for a vegetarian Italian family. They all loved it. In this version, the onions and celery are caramelized for incredible depth of flavorwhich improves over time. This year I tried Laura Zavans recipe. Like speaking with a kindred soul for me thanks for the link David. I do prefer to make my own sauce so it doesnt upset my stomach. Bring a medium sized pot of water to a low boil and simmer the celery until crisp-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. But if you can get it from a producer or a reputable vendor, thats the best option for sure. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Remove the leaves from the celery branches and cut the branches into 1/2-inch (1,25cm) thick slices. 1 pound ripe tomatoes, preferably romas, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes (in puree) 3 heaped tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained 3 tablespoons coarsely. (I just posted a recipe, but its more a method than a real recipe.) Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet and add the onion and celery. Mix in fresh basil. I think that would Season to taste and cool to room temperature. Have a wonderful beach vacationenjoy some good food and wineand relax. Ratatouille is from France, and caponata is from Sicily. celery with fennel I found and adapted to my family traditions the authentic eggplant caponata recipe of a wonderful book I recommend, are a delicious and popular choice too and what my. oil to the roasted Question - is anyone else nervous about the recommendation to leave this at room temperature for 8 hours? Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. All rights reserved. Great recipe that brought me back to my childhood. not overpower the Cover and simmer until eggplant and onion are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Sign up for my newsletter and get my FREE guidebook to the best bakeries and pastry shops in Paris Sweet Lemon (bergamot or Meyer lemon) Marmalade, (tough outer strings removed if necessary), pitted and very coarsely chopped (about in thirds). Arrange the eggplant on a baking sheet in 1 layer and roast. Transfer caponata to serving bowl. Could one substitute peppers (which my husband and I love, especially red ones) for celery, which neither of us will eat when cooked and he wont touch when raw, either? Like most eggplant dishes, this gets better overnight. Directions Step 1 Peel the eggplant to create long purple and white stripes. Oven Baked Caponata Print Recipe Pin Recipe Author: Living the Gourmet Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes Yield: 4-6 1 x Category: Main Dish Ingredients Units Scale 2 whole eggplant - peeled and diced 1 large sweet onion - chopped 5 cloves of garlic - chopped 3 stalks of celery - chopped All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts. With bold crunch from cucumber and shallots, this tangy, spicy, sweet Thai-inspired dressing is great on grilled meatsand tasty enough to eat by the spoonful. A propos of nothing much, have you tried fried capers? The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Stir in the roasted eggplant and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in the sauce. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and coat with cooking spray. Fabulous recipe. Get our best recipes and all Things Mediterranean delivered to your inbox. I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! Ingredients Caponata: 1/4 cup olive oil 3 1/2 cups 1/4-inch dice unpeeled eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds) 3/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/3 cup finely chopped celery 1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives 3 tablespoons chopped drained bottled capers 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste 3 tablespoons golden raisins Had dinner guests over last night and served this. Toss eggplant in 1 tbsp salt and set aside to draw out moisture (15-20 minutes). Save this Caponata recipe and more from Gourmet Magazine, September 2006: 65th Anniversary Issue to your own online collection at EatYourBooks.com. This is great & so easy to make, I My neighbor grew several varieties, all of them were smallish and egg shaped but in a variety of colors. Made it this morning and the smell aromatic smell is all around the house and cant wait to have for dinner. It was so good that I bookmarked the recipe in her excellent cookbook, Coming Home to Sicily. Plus, both recipes can be made ahead. dish! Absolute food of the gods and a staple at my house thanks to the year round blessing of good canned or boxed San Marzanos. And, of course I Drain if necessary. Either way, be sure to reduce the salt in the recipe to compensate for any saltiness the eggplant might retain. I am thinking about some leftovers for brunch with eggs and focaccia. Stir to combine. I'm all about easy, healthy recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. I "Caponata is one of the more complex dishes in the Sicilian repertoire," says Casey Wall of Melbourne's. Remove from pan. Rub a sheet pan with a bit of olive oil, and place the peppers on it, cut side down. When I took a bitebefore serving it, it had magically transformed into the most wonderful eggplant salad I could imagine. She is THE italian recipe expert in Paris. The ingredients to make caponata are simple and readily available in most grocery stores. It should be a little stronger than you like as it will calm down in a day or two. I buy Cento Peele Tomatoes They are San Marzano tomatoes and very good and I mush them up in my hands if I want a coarse sauce or use a blender wand for a puree. By topping shingled silken tofu with a savory stir-fry of pork and eggplant, you get the perfect marriage of hot and cold. Maybe a new photo is needed or should the recipe include green olives. I'm going to have to find my old recipe which calls for roasted eggplant instead. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. I LOVE the They're easy to make and perfect for picnics at the beach or an evening at the Hollywood Bowl. Caponata !!! May you have a wonderful, quiet vacation! Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly tender and the mixture is quite thick, sweet, and fragrant. I cant wait to try this one my eggplant here in Texas are bursting with beautiful purple treasure. Some rinse the eggplant, then dry them well by squeezing them in paper towels or a kitchen towel, others simply squeeze them dry at this point. Now to fry a skillet of two medium sized eggplants I use about 2-3 table spoons of olive oil. Since 1995, Epicurious has been the ultimate food resource for the home cook, with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking videos, and, oh yeah, over 33,000 recipes. Peel eggplants, leaving some strips of peel, then cut into 1-inch cubes and spread on half of a kitchen towel. Easy Authentic Falafel Recipe: Step-by-Step. Pat eggplant dry, add half to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (6-7 minutes). It doesn't mention when to add the tomato. All the Caponata recipes include various types of olives. Let sweat 20 minutes. For a kick of sweetness, many recipes call for brown sugar, but I use a bit of honey, which is sufficient given the addition of raisins. My fave thing was caponata, its just divine. Season with salt, then fry the rest of the eggplant in batches, seasoning them with salt as you remove them from the oil. one of my friends begs me to make for her for holidays. To the lady concerned about it being unrefrigeratedrelax. the thing that make ratatouille wretched is peppers: horrible bell peppers in a variety of colors (yellow is tolerable) from Spain, where I strongly suspect they are genetically modified, because often the skins, even blackened, wont come off completely. Set aside. Merci mille fois. Add diced tomatoes with juice, then red wine vinegar and drained capers. ), except the oil quantities used. It is a dish to be enjoyed in company with others. To revisit this recipe, visit My Account, then View saved recipes. Have a great holiday! Heat the olive oil in a second large skillet. Add the capers, olives, remaining sugar, and vinegar. Sheilah Kaufman Add diced tomatoes with juice, then. We used to work together as in an assembly line and Im quite sure I used to be the one chopping courgettes. The longest part was waiting over night Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here. I loved the way the eggplants exploded with flavor, and the other ingredients salty olives, still-crisp celery, and capers kept the dish bright and crunchy. Let come to a low boil then add the eggplant. Are you chopping them up as I do sometimes to add to something? making the first first poured them Serve topped with pine nuts and basil. This is great. Add tomatoes and celery and increase heat to medium; cook until tomatoes release their. Transfer as cooked to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a large shallow serving dish in an even layer. Cook until tender (3 minutes), then drain and set aside. Love your recipes and I find you quite funny too! Toss eggplant with 2 Tbsp. Toasted pine nuts Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Caponata is a fun and versatile dish whether you serve it as an appetizer, a side dish or a light meal. ), but my golly was it worth it. Any recs? Enjoy your vacation. Great balance of flavors. Served to guests along with some toasted baguette. I cook the eggplant, onions & garlic over very low heat for about 30 min to ensure the eggplant is soft. Stir in the capers, olives, sultanas, sugar, passata, vinegar and grated chocolate and bring the pan to the boil, then add the fried aubergines and courgettes. Italians use olive oil not just for frying, but for its flavor, which is an important component of this dish. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Add eggplant, onion, and garlic cloves. So many recipes in there that my grandmother used to make. You can add more later. With all the chopping, it takes a bit of time, but it's well worth it. [Usually only available here in large grocery chains]. me tailor this to my I keep caponata in the fridge for up to three days and it gets better and better! Cur et tripes. We don't just eat cookies! Allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Yesterday, I had 4 American friends visiting and only during the morning I learned that one has a cheese intolerance and one is vegetarian. When I brought up the question online the next day, many said it was tourists, but I doubt the jarred tomato sauce industry in Italy is supported byvisitorsstocking uponjars of tomato sauce at Italian supermarkets. Nothing complicated, but delicious. Here's what you'll need: Typically, capontata starts with frying cubed eggplant in a bit of oil until browned. JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LISTHERE. He made it with the raisins and pine nuts. While both are stewed eggplant and tomato dishes, they have different origins and ingredients. Also, I find that this years toms are very expensive I still buy them though, cant live without. It's best served at room temperature topping some crusty bread. i moved after 20 years in Paris, to Italy). 2 Add remaining oil to pan, add onion, celery and garlic and stir occasionally until very tender (8-10 minutes). 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I have found though that blanching the celery is essential and rare to find in any Caponata recipe so kudos on that. An eggplant dip with a Moroccan twist! I also agree with one comment about the parsley I forgot to add it the first day out. It makes a great topping for bruschetta. Caponata is served as a starter or main course. We've got classic versions of this sweet and sour aubergine dish, plus pasta, meat and fish versions. which flavour If some reason your sauce seems dry, add a little of the saved pasta cooking water and mix again. I usually dont deep fry at home eitherthe mess, so much oil! Full of eggplants and Sicilian recipes: the ones my grandmother tough my mom to feed her only figlio maschio/son. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. I took other reviewers advice and added the eggplant during cooking. Serve scattered with pine nuts and basil, and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. dried' tomatoes in I was always taught that one cannot make additions to tomatoes when canning. time, as I know I was recently at a dinner party with some Italians who told me no one in Italy uses jarred sauce, so I wondered who bought all those jars Ive seen in Italian grocery stores? I love eggplant and use it for cooking a lot. Heat half the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. them to the pan as exact tastes. Or go for it and use olive oil. Like your beloved bag of sour cream and onion chips, but make it mashed potatoes. I agree David, worth the luxury! The trick here is to start with just 1 table spoon on a heated non-stick skillet, then add your cubed eggplant and cook, stirring and pressing slightly every minute. To keep the oil light what I usually do is drizzle a little olive oil in the pan, throw the eggplant in to brown it up a bit then lower the heat, put the lid on the pan so it kind of steams the eggplant then I continue with the recipe. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Thank you, David for another wonderful recipe and article. Add cooked eggplant, raisins, pine nuts, capers, olives, roasted peppers, and salt and pepper to taste. Oh, and yes its always better at room temperature the next day! I am such an eggplant fan! Ad Choices, 1 serving contains: Calories (kcal) 130 Fat (g) 10 Saturated Fat (g) 1.5 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Carbohydrates (g) 9 Dietary Fiber (g) 4 Total Sugars (g) 4 Protein (g) 1 Sodium (mg) 220, Harissa-Roasted Eggplant With Fried Capers. It makes a great snack served with chunks of bread for scooping, and is a good partner for grilled lamb, or robust fish such as tuna or swordfish. I'm going to put this on a Turkish pide. Be the first to leave one. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Mine is deep-frying. Roast the eggplant, allow to cool and chop coarsely. I have been searching for a spanish eggplant salad recipe ever since I tasted the most wonderful one at Essa-bagel in NYC. I always thought the Belgiums were weird. But in fact, the recipe gave me the chance to give my stovetop a long-overdue cleaning. This took some serious time (looks easy on paper, and indeed it is, just takes some effort! If possible, cover and chill overnight. Excellent. Heat a large cast iron frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil; add the celery, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring often until just tender but still a beautiful bright green. can't imagine why people say its Rather than sugar or honey, we throw in raisins for sweetness. Finish with fresh parsley and mint. Place the whole eggplant on the pan, prick with a fork in several places, and rub with olive oil. How do you avoid that? Place filo under a damp tea towel and use as needed. stalks celery, from the inner, tender stalks (the heart), diced, pound ripe tomatoes, preferably romas, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes (in puree), heaped tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained, tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted green olives, tablespoons red or white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar (more to taste). Followed the recipe exactly except for swapping balsamic for white wine vinegar. (only kidding). Taste, and add additional salt if desired, and perhaps another splash of vinegar. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionists advice. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes salt to taste cup olive oil, divided 1 cup finely chopped celery 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped 12 green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped 1 tablespoons drained capers 1 tablespoon tomato paste Thanks! Subscribe to Gourmet Traveller - your trusted source and authority for the best in food, wine and travel. In a large skillet, toast the almonds over medium heat until golden. I also added Ad Choices, 1 1 1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings in juice. Gently poached in an aromatic broth, these plump and juicy shrimp balls come together in a snap in the food processor for an easy weeknight meal. I think ratatouille is traditionally stewed Provenal vegetables, eggplant , tomatoes, pepper, onions, zucchini , herbs, cooked together for a short time to meld the flavours. I couldn't find my usual caponata recipe so I tried this one. is a wonderful David, Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Dice the eggplants into medium/small pieces. Do you think the smaller, younger ones, or smaller varieties work better for caponata? Ive made Fabrizias caponata many times and it cant be beat. Set aside. I love ratatouille, and I agree, the way to cook aubergine is to dice it and cook in a lidded pan with only a little oil it will cook quite well. Add onion and stir until golden and softened (5 minutes). https://www.davidlebovitz.com/my-food-photogr/. However, I tried looking for salsa pronta at the Italian stalls, but didnt see any. And also the comments are very often inspiring, interesting and some make me just nod and thinking Yeah, I feel the same. Thanks Digital artisan and curator of the Simposio cookbook series; maker of Gourmet Project, an Italian food, travel and culture blog; and life in Italy relator through the Italian Colors Newsletter. Repeat with oil and remaining eggplant. Add roasted eggplant and stir to coat. Each veggie keeps its own taste & crunch, but youre in the kitchen all day! This was delicious as soon as I mixed it all together. than either fresh or While I love fried eggplant, in this case, I found roasting the cubes to offer the same result. oil in a large skillet over medium-high , add onion, celery, olives, and capers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1215 minutes; season with salt and pepper. The authentic Sicilian eggplant caponata recipe is a sauted eggplant side dish with tomato, olives, capers, vinegar, and almonds or pine nuts. Return eggplant to pan and simmer until tender and mixture is reduced to a thick sauce. Cooking advice that works. You deserve it! you have to know where you oil comes from, so much commercial oil is faulty and you should not fry with it. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring, until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes. mostly aubergines in white and in small sizes, they really looked a bit like eggs and voil, that was a mystery resolved! Recipes you want to make. I forgot to add: I If going the store-bought route, choosea good-quality tomato sauce, one without a lot of extraneous ingredients. ), I would not try to sell them on a brownieor chocolate cake. After hours of work chopping, caramelizing, salting, squeezing I finally tasted it and I am SO disappointed. I add red and orange peppers and chopped garlic to the celery. Eggplant caponata is better the next day, but if you need to serve it on the same day, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.If you love this caponata, then our equally delicious zaalouk is a must try. It is I got some beautiful small eggplants at the market, and watchedthem go from being pale, to a burnished golden-brown, and couldnt resist snacking on the darkest cubes as soon as they were cool enough to eat. Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. All you taste is vinegar. I just add the eggplant to the rest of the ingredients after the caramelizing step is done. onions and celery at the end to cook. that's problematic. Prepare it the night before serving if you can; it always tastes better the next day. Ratatouille always tastes likea lot of stewed vegetable all mixed up, and never seemed tocapture the distinctness of each of the ingredients like the caponata I had in Sicily, that changed my mind about cooked vegetable salads. canned tomatoes. Leave out the bell pepper and white wine, and swap the red wine vinegar for balsamic to hopefully even up the flavour. I used to havea hard time with certain cooked vegetable salads, such asratatouille, even though people have insisted that I would like their version. Given the expense of pine nuts at the moment, you might try substituting lightly toasted pistachio nuts theyre less than half the price in UK and they dont make the dish seem any less Sicilian. That changed this week, as did my stewed-vegetable life, when I took the first bite of my homemade caponata and all the flavors of the incorrigible island of Sicily came rushing back to me. So excited! One of my go to recipes: easy, healthy, delicious, and adaptable. Eggplant caponata is an Italian appetizer from Sicily made from eggplant and other fried vegetables served at room temperature. Using a very generous amount of olive oil I brown the eggplant cubes under the broiler in my biggest lasagna pan, turning them twice. Transfer to a plate; let cool slightly. For long time I have used pine kernels (which incidentally are produced in Tuscany and Lazio and are fairly expensive, 6 Euros for 100 grams in the supermarket) but I have now switched to Sicilian almonds as they often do in Sicily. My childhood was a deliciousvegetarianadventure. I love to make and eat Caponata too. There arent any notes yet. Complex flavor profile that only improves with a day or so in the fridge if it lasts that long! Directions. Ciao. taste of the roasted Subscribe to Gourmet Traveller - your trusted source and authority for the best in food, wine and travel. I forgot: Thank you so much, I for one shall be happy to have a print-option as of September and thanks to your coding angel for doing that thankless job!!! tomato paste, preferably Maria Grammatico brand, 12 pitted green olives, such as cerignola, coarsely chopped, 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced, 2 tbsp. Fried the eggplant in about an inch of olive oil, but with the pan at a low enough heat it really didnt splatter at all (maybe took longer). Hi David, I am so happy to see you love Caponata! On the question of canned tomato sauce: I kind of compromise, especially in the winter when tomatoes are not good in New England. I love Fabrizias caponata recipe and made it with her in Sicily and later at my house in New Jersey. It comes out delicious and a lot lighter on the oil. There is ALWAYS so much to love in your work David. It was devoured by all.Next time I will peel. also used a largish But I am also often blown away by the beauty of your photos. Have to agree with David too that second day is the way to go! Which Ive always found odd, because if someone told me they didnt like chocolate (I know horrors!