Caponata

Caponata, or dare I call it, eggplant "relish", is a savory mélange that can be used in a variety of ways. I like to serve Caponata as an Italian appetizer...and thanks to my husband buying one too many eggplants and peppers last week for another favorite dish, we were enjoying Caponata with garlic toasts just last night! Caponata is also delicious as a topping for bruschettas or crostinis, served on toasted pita triangles, spread on crusty Italian bread or whole grain crackers, or even coarsely pureed to use as a dip with bread sticks…And, although traditionally Caponata is served cold or at room temperature, I remember my mother using it hot as a vegetable side dish or as a topping on grilled rainbow trout...MMM! You can probably even combine it with pasta for a quick meal!

There are quite a few varieties of eggplants available today, but in this Caponata recipe, I use the familiar large, dark purple, pear shaped variety eggplant found in most grocery stores. You can also substitute this eggplant by using the Italian or baby eggplant, which is very similar, but smaller in size.

"Antipasto Saporito di Melanzane" or Caponata

approx. 2 pounds eggplant, (or 2 medium sized eggplants) cut into 1 inch cubes (yielding about 6-7 cups)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium yellow or red onion, coarsely chopped

1 sweet red pepper, diced

1 sweet yellow pepper, diced

2 cups celery, sliced

2 cups chopped ripe plum tomatoes (or 1-28 oz. can plum tomatoes, chopped, reserving some juice)

2 tblps. sugar

2 tblps. red wine vinegar

2 tblps. capers

1/2 cup black olives, chopped

2-3 chopped anchovy filets (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

2 tblps. toasted pinenuts (toast on baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 3 mins...watch them closely)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Wash eggplant and discard the stem end. Place the eggplant cubes in a colander and sprinkle them generously with salt. Eggplants tend to be quite watery and the salt will draw out some of the moisture. Let stand at least 1/2 hour; rinse well under cold water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a deep heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté eggplant until tender and almost golden. Remove and set aside.

Add the garlic and onions and sauté until softened.

Add celery, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant and cook for approx. 15 minutes uncovered.

Combine red wine vinegar with sugar and add to vegetable mixture. Simmer, uncovered for about 15 - 20 minutes or until mixture is thick and the flavors are well developed - add capers, chopped olives (and anchovies, if using.) Continue cooking for a few more minutes.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic