Caponata
Caponata is one of my favorite Sicilian appetizers. It’s like the Italian sweet and sour cousin to France’s ratatouille. I always make mine a day ahead, so the stewed eggplant has time to absorb all of the different flavors overnight. Caponata is traditionally served over toasted sliced bread as bruschetta or with crostini. Still, I’ve also eaten it as a spread on a sandwich or as an accompaniment to a cheese plate, and I enjoy it every way I have it. You can make caponata as a side salad or relish to pair with grilled meat or fish dishes and serve it hot, room temperature, or cold straight from the refrigerator. It’s very versatile.
Caponata is probably Sicily’s most famous food
Caponata is usually vegan, but as I’ve discussed in my Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe post, I’m an anchovy fiend. It’s an essential ingredient in my household, and I’m perpetually looking for any excuse to add them to my recipes. If you’re a vegan (or vegetarian), please skip the anchovies (or honey) and make the dish without them.
Like so many other meals that I enjoy cooking, caponata varies from household to household. Some people swear by adding raisins and pine nuts, preferring their dish to taste sweeter, while others want a more sour, vinegary tang. This is the way of agrodolce, the balance of sour and sweet. Caponata is also savory, and the marriage of these three flavors makes this dish so uniquely Mediterranean. The salt and brine from the anchovies, capers, and olives, the sweetness from the onions, tomatoes, and honey, mixed with the sourness of the vinegar give this caponata a specific type of flavor that transcends the borders of Italy, extending itself to the shores of Spain, France, Greece, and the Middle East.
Caponata is a very easy and straight forward recipe
I feel like anything you sauté is pretty hard to screw up as long as you keep an eye on the heat
Caponata is usually made with fried eggplant, but I prefer to roast or grill mine because it uses less olive oil. However, any dish with this many vegetables has to be healthy af, which is another reason I keep it in the rotation. I typically make mine more often in the spring and summer when the weather gets warmer, but this recipe can be eaten year-round, in my opinion. When I cook, I play it very fast and loose on the rules. If I want a summer dish in the winter and I can find the ingredients in the store, I’m making it, same as if I want something heavy in the summer. I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense; the stomach wants what the stomach wants.
Slathering all these veggies with crushed tomatoes. I like to use Pastene, La Squisita, or Sclafani, but pretty much any brand will do
I cook my caponata with green olives, but I’ve used Kalamata olives before and it still tastes amazing with either or both
The flavors of caponata are complex, bold, and bright, which means your wine selection needs to be just as strong to stand up to the robust acidity of the dish while also not overpowering the delicate taste of the fresh vegetables. I would go with a Rosé, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Nero d’Avola (keepin’ it Sicilian, baby) if you’re having wine with your meal.
Like many great Italian recipes, “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, chopped and partially peeled
1 large onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 1/4 cups of crushed Roma tomatoes
3 tablespoons of capers
3 anchovies
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup of green olives, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/4 tablespoons of honey
1/4-1/2 a teaspoon of crushed red pepper (depending on how hot you like your food)
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Lightly salt and drizzle the partially peeled and chopped eggplant with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway. Remove from the oven and let the eggplant cool for 10 minutes
Melt the anchovies in 2 tablespoons of oil with the red pepper
Add in the onion and celery, cooking on medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute
Toss in the bell peppers and bay leaves. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes
Add in the eggplant and the last tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes, still on medium, or until tender
Add in the honey and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes
Throw in the olives, capers, and vinegar, cooking on low for 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes
Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes
Add the chopped parsley and cook for around 2 minutes before removing it from the stove
Remove bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with sliced Italian bread and fresh basil
