Ingredients
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1 Kg Eggplant
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100 gr Green Olives
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500 gr Celery
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400 gr Tomatoes
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1 Tbsp Tomato puree
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1 Tbspn Sugar
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50 gr Drained capers patted dry
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Vinegar
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Olive oil
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Salt
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Pepper
Directions
Sicilian caponata is one of the classic side dishes of national cooking, just like eggplant parmigiana and few others. It is a typical dish of Sicilian gastronomy, where it is often considered as a unique dish as it is rich and tasty. You can find more Traditional Sicilian Recipes on SicilianFoodCulture.com
Steps
1
Done
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Start cutting the eggplants into little cubes – don’t peel them! |
2
Done
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Cut in small pieces the celery. |
3
Done
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Put the tomatoes (better if sweet and mature, so be sure to choose some good, fresh tomatoes!) in boiling water for 10 min. When ready, let them cool down a bit then peel them and remove all the little seeds. Chop them into small pieces. |
4
Done
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Remove the pit from inside the olives and chop them in half. |
5
Done
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Put 2tbsp of olive oil in a pan and start putting the tomatoes and 1 table spoon of Tomatoes Puree – Cook for 10 min, medium temperature without any lid. |
6
Done
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Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then the celery, olives and the capers. |
7
Done
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Melt the sugar in a cup of vinegar, pour it into the pan and mix carefully. Cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough. |
8
Done
|
Start frying the eggplant using enough olive oil to cover them (I suggest to use a sauce pan to do that!). Cook them until the color is gold – remove the oil (Be careful!) and dry them with some kitchen paper, we don’t want them to be too oily. Pour them into the sauce and stir for few minutes. |
9
Done
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Let it rest a bit – Caponata is best served if at room temperature, not hot! |