The Eggplant Caponata

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

This eggplant caponata recipe is Italian, from Sicily specifically. Unlike the French ratatouille we know well, the caponata is mostly eaten cold. It has the great advantage to be prepared in advance and kept cool, to improve its freshness day by day. Present  the caponata with cold cuts, on toasted bread croutons (crostini) or with fish. You can serve eggplant caponata with fried red mullet fillets with a herb salad…delicious!

Ingredients:  Eggplant Caponata Recipe

For 4 people:

• 2 eggplants
• 2 red peppers
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 1/2 cup (400 g) canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 4 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 coffee spoon of caster sugar
• 2 csp vinegar
• 8 pitted green olives
• 1 tablespoon of raisins

Cooking instruction: Eggplant Caponata Recipe

Wash the vegetables. Cut the eggplant into small cubes. Open peppers and seed them. Cut the peppers and celery into strips and then dices.
Fry the eggplant and peppers in a pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 15 minutes, salt and pepper.
Melt the chopped onion and garlic with celery in a pan for 10 minutes (with the last tablespoon of olive oil). Then add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Let reduce for about 15 minutes, salt and pepper.
Pour this mixture over the eggplant and peppers, mix well. Add the vinegar, sugar, olives. Continue cooking 10 minutes. Finally, add the raisins and let it cool. Place in the refrigerator.
The Eggplant Caponata is much better when prepared in advance. Bon appetit!

This Recipe is inspired by Dominique