Sweet & Sour Sicilian Caponata
A gloriously tangled medley of golden-fried eggplant, sun-ripened tomatoes, briny olives, and capers, all laced with a sweet-sour agrodolce that gets better with every hour it sits. Serve it on crusty bread as a bruschetta topping, alongside grilled fish, or straight from the bowl with a fork and no regrets.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- Kosher salt for salting the eggplant
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
+ 10 more ingredients
Instructions
Spread the eggplant cubes on a sheet pan lined with paper towels, sprinkle generously with kosher salt, and let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Pat dry thoroughly with fresh paper towels.
Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, fry the eggplant cubes until deep golden on all sides, about 5-6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Add the olives and capers to the sauce and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then pour this agrodolce mixture into the skillet.
Return the fried eggplant to the skillet and fold everything together gently. Simmer for another 5 minutes to let the flavors meld and the eggplant absorb some of the sauce.
Remove from heat and let the caponata cool to room temperature. Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter with toasted pine nuts and torn basil leaves, and finish with a few grinds of black pepper.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI