Recipe Caponata

[Frizz1974]

I make this dish a lot, in big batches and freeze in large single servings to be consumed on its own, on toast, and sometimes even with an egg on top.


2 eggplants - roughly chopped
2 Tbls olive oil
1 onion - diced
2 ribs of celery - sliced
1 red capsicum - roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1Tbls tomato paste
800gm diced canned tomato
2 Tbls red wine vinegar
1 Tbls sugar
1 Tbls capers
1 tsp dried oregano
Kalamata olives - pitted
Handful chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper

First salt your eggplant, rinse and then steam it for 6 minutes or until softened. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, celery & capsicum until translucent, softened & very lightly coloured.
Add garlic, stir.
Add tomato paste, stir.
Add canned tomato, vinegar, sugar, olives, capers and dried herb.
Add a cup of water.
Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes and taste for salt & pepper.
Add in eggplant, stir.
Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Taste again for salt, pepper, sugar & vinegar.
Stir in parsley.

Serve with crusty bread & some extra olive oil.

Option - use a 50:50 mix of eggplant & zucchini.

 

[Francesca]

Lovely versión of Caponata ..

However, the capers and Green olives are missing !

 

[Elawin]

I'll have to give that a try. I like aubergines and courgettes. My caponata had cauliflower https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/cauliflower-caponata.11039/

 

[Francesca]

@Frizz1974

While I travelled throughout Sicilia, in 2014, here is the classic versión of Caponata:


500 g violet black aubergines
salt
500 grams of onions
100 grams of celery stalks
150 grams Sicilian Green olives
500 grams of San Marzano tomatoes or fresh red ripe de-seeded and peeled
6 tablesp. Sicilian Bio Evoo
Freshly ground black pepper
20 Grams of Sugar ( Eco Bio ) un-bleached
7 tablesps. of Red wine Vinegar - Sicilian or Italian
2 tablesps. of Capers

Courgette or Zucchine nor anyother vegetable are normally not used in classic Caponata in Sicilia ..

 

[Morning Glory]

Lovely versión of Caponata ..

However, the capers and Green olives are missing !

There are capers in the recipe! And black olives instead of green.

 

[Morning Glory]

Lovely @Frizz1974 - I love capers and black olives. Its a little similar to ratatouille but with more piquancy.

 

[Francesca]

There are capers in the recipe! And black olives instead of green.

@morning glory

Yes, I just re-read the recipe .. I see the tablesp of capers and some Kalamata Greek Olives ..

 

[Frizz1974]

The calamata are more widely available, we are getting good green olives now but that is relatively recent, most of the green olives previously were stuffed with pimento.

I've been making this dish for years & years.

 

[Morning Glory]

The calamata are more widely available, we are getting good green olives now but that is relatively recent, most of the green olives previously were stuffed with pimento.

I've been making this dish for years & years.

Personally I prefer black to green olives in general.

 

[Frizz1974]

Black are generally my preference too.
Except the Spanish ones that are on pizzas here in the chain restaurants. Like little slivers of car tyre rubber.
I love good kalamata but also the wrinkly semi dried ones from delis. Not sure what they are called.

We are seeing big fat green olives here now with gourmet stuffings such as a whole smoked almond, or anchovy fillet, char grilled chilli, and the cheese stuffed ones are delicious. They are expensive due to being labour intensive so are more of a treat.