Caponata – a heart-warming aubergine dish from Sicily

​Caponata is a very handy recipe to use at any time of the year, winter, or summer, as the ingredients are available all year around.   The principal ingredients are aubergines, celery, tomatoes, olives, and capers.   It can be served as a cold or warm dish, as a main course or as a side dish.   It’s one of those dishes which taste even better the following day.

While we associate aubergines with the Mediterranean so too are the other principal 

ingredients, including celery.  When researching this dish, I was surprised to learn that celery is an ancient Mediterranean herb and vegetable; originally using just the leaves or seeds for flavour – and more recently using the whole plant.  In fact, in northern Italy, you’ll notice people buying a stalk or two of celery for flavouring and rarely see it used as a vegetable in a dish.

The flavour of Caponata is derived from the addition of olives and capers and a little vinegar and sugar at the end of the cooking period – this gives it its distinctive ‘agrodolce’ taste i.e., sour, and sweet.  You may not have associated Italian food with sweet and sour dishes, but this is a typical and very old tradition in Sicily where fruit, vegetables, olives, and capers were preserved in brine, oil, vinegar and/or dried to last the winter.
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Note: I have given precise quantities for the recipe – but you can use these as a guideline and add or subtract amounts according to availability and taste 

​RECIPE

• 500 grams of cubed aubergines (approximately 3 medium ones)
• 4 stalks of celery diced
• 1 – 2 onions chopped
• 4 tablespoons of oil (or more if necessary)
• 250 – 500ml of tomato passata (puree)*
• 50 -100 grams of pitted green olives – halved
• 2 tablespoons of capers – strained
• 1 dessertspoon of sugar – cane preferable
• 1 – 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

*the more puree you add the wetter the final dish, so it’s up to you how much you’d like
 
METHOD
Note: you’ll need 2 large deep pans or pots for this – that way you make it more quickly!

1. Heat 2 generous tablespoons of olive oil in a pot/ pan and add all the cubed aubergines.  Stir the aubergines around in the heat and don’t worry if it appears that there is too little oil.   Stir regularly on a medium heat and gradually you’ll notice it begin to soften and colour – It’ll take about 15 – 20 minutes to cook through – Stop cooking while they are still holding their shape
2. In a separate deep pan add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and heat.  Add chopped onions and cook gently for 5 minutes at a low to medium heat, then add the celery and continue to cook – covered - to soften and sweeten for another 5 – 10 minutes.
3. Now add the tomato puree (see *note above) and continue cooking – Leave the lid on for this period of cooking to get the flavours amalgamating.  (If it begins to stick add a quarter cup of water to loosen the mixture
4. Now add the olives and capers and heat through
5. Now finally add back in the aubergines, maintain medium heat – and stir regularly
6. Finally, mix the sugar and vinegar together and add to the sauce mixture – stir through and taste – check if it needs more vinegar or sugar

 
Enjoy
 
Katie Verling