Caponata is an eggplant (aubergine) salad dish from Sicily that consists of chopped fried eggplant and celery seasoned with sweetened vinegar, with capers in a sweet and sour sauce. There are all sorts of regional variations but the original is, indeed, a Sicilian dish. The scholar, Alberto Denti di Pirajno, suggested that the dish was born aboard a ship as a mariner's breakfast, due to the large amount of vinegar used, which would have acted as a preservative. Giuseppe Coria, an authoritative voice on the history of Sicilian cooking, meanwhile, suggests that its name comes from the Latin word “caupo” (tavern) and was, as such, originally a tavern food for travelers. Sicilian food authority Pino Correnti believes that its name is derived from the Catalan word “caponada”. Despite the lack of clarity around the exact origins and invention of the dish, it is to originally be of Spanish origin.
Today, caponata is typically used as a side dish for fish dishes and sometimes as an appetizer but can also be a main course. Few salads epitomize Sicilian cuisine as much as caponata so be sure to track it down and make a point to try it once you have found a vacation rental in Sicily! If you want to try making it yourself at home, try this recipe.
Ingredients:
(This is merely one take on the dish, you will find great variation in recipes and restaurants)
1kg of eggplant (aubergine)
225g of green olives packed in brine, pitted
170g of salted capers, rinsed
570g of celery ribs
1 cup of tomato sauce (optional)
300g of onions
300g of tomatoes
1/3 cup of vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar
Basil
A handful of pine nuts
Olive oil
Salt
Method:
1. Strip the filaments from the celery sticks and blanch in lightly salted water for five minutes. Drain and cut into bite-size pieces, sauté them in a little oil, and set aside.
2. Wash and dice the eggplant, strain and sprinkle liberally with salt. Leave aside for several hours.
3. Blanch, peel, seed and chop the tomatoes.
4. Rinse away the salt from the eggplant and pat the pieces dry.
5. Finely slice the onion and sauté them in olive oil; once they have turned translucent, add the capers, pine nuts, olives, and tomatoes. Cook for around 15 minutes.
6. In another pan, fry the eggplant, in batches. When the last batch is done, add to the tomato pot and stir together with the celery.
7. Cook for several minutes over low flame, stirring gently, then stir in the vinegar and the sugar; when the vinegar has almost completely evaporated, remove the pot from the fire and let it cool.
8. Serve cold with a garnish of fresh basil.
Ingredients:
(This is merely one take on the dish, you will find great variation in recipes and restaurants)
1kg of eggplant (aubergine)
225g of green olives packed in brine, pitted
170g of salted capers, rinsed
570g of celery ribs
1 cup of tomato sauce (optional)
300g of onions
300g of tomatoes
1/3 cup of vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar
Basil
A handful of pine nuts
Olive oil
Salt
Method:
1. Strip the filaments from the celery sticks and blanch in lightly salted water for five minutes. Drain and cut into bite-size pieces, sauté them in a little oil, and set aside.
2. Wash and dice the eggplant, strain and sprinkle liberally with salt. Leave aside for several hours.
3. Blanch, peel, seed and chop the tomatoes.
4. Rinse away the salt from the eggplant and pat the pieces dry.
5. Finely slice the onion and sauté them in olive oil; once they have turned translucent, add the capers, pine nuts, olives, and tomatoes. Cook for around 15 minutes.
6. In another pan, fry the eggplant, in batches. When the last batch is done, add to the tomato pot and stir together with the celery.
7. Cook for several minutes over low flame, stirring gently, then stir in the vinegar and the sugar; when the vinegar has almost completely evaporated, remove the pot from the fire and let it cool.
8. Serve cold with a garnish of fresh basil.
Photo credit: Luca Nebuloni / CC BY 2.0