Caponata

Posted on Sep 19th, 2020

by Irene Milito

Categories:

Italian recipes

This eggplant relish is the hallmark of a great Sicilian cook. Johnny remembers coming home from football practice and snacking on a caponata sandwich. Now, that’s Italian! Make it at least a day ahead of serving because the ingredients need some time to get to know each other. Spread it on your favorite bread and pour some wine, too.

Portions: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons pine nuts
¹⁄2 cup olive oil (no need to use extra-virgin)
1 eggplant, about
1¹⁄4 pounds, cut into
¹⁄2-inch dice 1 large yellow onion, cut into
¹⁄4-inch dice
4 celery ribs, cut into
¹⁄4-inch dice
2 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped or 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
¹⁄3 cup red wine vinegar
1¹⁄2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¹⁄4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Crackers, bruschette, or sliced crusty bread for serving

Preparation:

Heat a large empty skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Add the oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. In batches, if necessary, add the eggplant and fry, turning once, until golden brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Return the eggplant to the skillet. Stir in 1 cup water with the tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the tomato juice begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts, parsley, olives, capers, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. (The caponata can be refrigerated for up to 3 days). Serve at room temperature with the crackers.

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