When my family boarded our return home flight from Italy in the summer of 2019, Josh looked at me and said “If they serve us eggplant on this flight, I am going to be sick.”
We had just spent the past 14 days in my familial homeland of Sicily, living on my Zio’s (uncle’s) beautiful orange orchard in Palagonia, just outside of Catania. Eggplant was in season, and it was abundant. We ate fried eggplant, eggplant salad, eggplant on pasta, eggplant on bread, and more eggplant. Sicilians typically eat a sweet breakfast, so luckily there was no eggplant at breakfast. Josh is not an eggplant fan, but he endured out of respect for my Sicilian family. He was looking forward to an eggplant-free return trip. But sadly, the main course in our first meal was eggplant and couscous! I enjoyed a double serving of eggplant on that flight.
Caponata is a savory, sweet, and sour Sicilian salad-like dish. It is often served as an appetizer or “antipasto,” before a main course. Caponata (pronounced “kah-poh-nah-tah”) features eggplant and it includes onions, tomatoes, celery, olives, and capers. It is best served the next day at room temperature and is most delicious on a hearty slice of crusty Italian bread. Sometimes caponata is compared to ratatouille, but to me ratatouille is more stew-like. While the two dishes contain many of the same ingredients, caponata is less hearty and more light and tangy due to the combination of vinegar, olive brine, and capers.
I have been missing Sicily. We had plans to travel there again this summer. Even though my husband does not like eggplant, he has gone out of his way to make this tasty eggplant dish for me. Enjoying a homemade bowl of caponata made from a place of love brings my beautiful little island of Sicily into my Vermont home.
Ingredients
1 (or 1 1/4 lbs) large eggplant, cut into cubes
Sprinkle kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
to taste black pepper
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp capers
1/4 cup pitted green olives, chopped
2 tsp sweetener, your choice (sugar or syurp)
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp, or to taste crushed red pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
2 Tbsp fresh mint
Directions
1. Place the cubed eggplant in a bowl with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Set it aside in a colander for 30 minutes to “sweat it out.” This process reduces the moisture and bitterness of the eggplant.
2. While waiting for the eggplant, prepare the other vegetables and ingredients, cutting the onions, celery, and peppers.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Fry the eggplant until lightly browned, then add the onions, celery, and bell pepper. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, tossing regularly until softened.
4. Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, sweetener, bay leaf and crushed pepper flakes. Pour in the vinegar. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Finish with fresh basil, parsley, and mint.
5. For best flavor, let the caponata sit at room temperature for one hour. Serve with a crusty loaf of Italian bread, with a drizzle of olive oil.