Sicily’s well-known sweet-and-sour relish could also be most related to eggplant—it’s the important ingredient—however after I was studying to make caponata, my instructor Giacomo reprimanded me for not giving the celery its due. I didn’t take it personally. One of many important methods I’ve realized about conventional cooking in Sicily (and in all places else in Italy) has been by being shamed about not understanding the precise approach to make one thing in line with that individual household’s traditions. Celery delivers a lot extra taste and construction to the caponata than the eggplant, so I used to be listening.
Subsequent, he admonished me for utilizing an excessive amount of tomato, which he informed me was a current addition courting again solely a century and a half, at most. And, in fact, he shared that the unique caponata featured fish (capone is dolphinfish) and that eggplant was used instead by peasants, giving us the now widespread eggplant model.
This recipe (from my cookbook Food of the Italian Islands) makes use of little or no tomato, counting on vinegar for an acidic observe. I put together caponata at the very least a day forward to make sure all of the flavors have married and mellowed.
Serves 6
3 medium eggplant or 2 massive globe eggplant (about 2 kilos complete), minimize into 1-inch cubes
Sea salt
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra as wanted
2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
6 celery stalks, minimize into ½-inch items
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed, soaked till their saltiness mellows, then drained
½ cup inexperienced olives (I like Castelvetrano), rinsed and pitted, then roughly chopped
½ cup canned complete peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
¾ cup good-quality white or purple wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Place the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle throughout with salt, then put aside to empty for an hour. Rinse and pat dry.
Warmth 1¼ cups of the olive oil in a big pan over medium-high warmth. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the eggplant, working in batches in order to not crowd the pan. Prepare dinner till comfortable and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Use extra olive oil as wanted. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and switch to a big bowl.
Add the onion and celery to the identical pan with the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil over low warmth. Season with salt and cook dinner till the onions are comfortable and translucent, 20 minutes. When the onions are near being cooked, add the almonds, capers, and olives and cook dinner till the almonds are aromatic. Utilizing a slotted spoon, switch the combination to the bowl with the eggplant. Add the tomato to the identical pan, season with salt, and cook dinner till it has misplaced its uncooked taste, about 10 minutes.
Add the greens to the pan with the tomato sauce, then pour over the vinegar and sugar. Stir to mix, then simmer for two minutes to marry the flavors. Take away from the warmth and put aside to chill. Cowl and marinate within the fridge in a single day earlier than serving. The caponata will preserve in a sealed container within the fridge for as much as every week.
