Location & Language
Location
Your location determines which local communities, pages, places and events you see.
Display language
The language used for menus, buttons and interface text.
Location
Your location determines which local communities, pages, places and events you see.
Display language
The language used for menus, buttons and interface text.
Caponata is Sicily's glorious sweet-and-sour eggplant agrodolce — a dish that captures the island's rich history at the crossroads of Arab, Spanish, and Italian culinary traditions. Fried eggplant is combined with celery, olives, capers, tomatoes, and raisins, then finished with red wine vinegar and sugar to create a flavor profile that is complex, layered, and utterly unique. It improves dramatically over time, making it ideal to prepare a day ahead. Served at room temperature as an antipasto or a side dish, caponata is one of the most versatile and delicious things to come out of the Sicilian kitchen.
Prep
25 min
Cook
40 min
Total
65 min
Servings
4 srv
Difficulty
Medium
Calories
205 kcal
For 4 serving(s)
Per serving
Cut the eggplant into 2 cm cubes. Salt generously, place in a colander, and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the eggplant in batches over high heat until golden. Drain on paper towels.
In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and cook the diced onion and sliced celery over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the pitted olives, capers, and raisins.
Return the fried eggplant to the pan. Add the red wine vinegar and sugar and stir well.
Simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid reduces and the flavors meld. Add the pine nuts and stir.
Remove from heat, scatter with torn basil, and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature — best made a day ahead.
Sign in to rate this recipe.