Preparing aubergines

Let us start by preparing the aubergines, which are the main ingredient of the caponata. We cut the aubergines into cubes of about 2-3 cm and place them in a colander, sprinkling them with a little coarse salt. This step serves to lose the vegetation water and reduce the aubergines' natural bitterness. Let them stand for about 30 minutes.

After resting, rinse the aubergines under cold water to remove excess salt, then dry them well with paper towels.

Frying aubergines

In a large frying pan, heat plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Fry the aubergine cubes in small batches until golden and crispy. Once fried, drain on blotting paper to remove excess oil and set aside.

Preparing vegetables

While the aubergines are cooling, let's prepare the rest of the vegetables. Cut the celery into thin slices and boil it for a few minutes in salted boiling water, then drain. Finely chop the onions and fry them in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until translucent and soft.

Add the peeled tomatoes (or fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half) to the onions and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and tasty. If we prefer a stronger flavour, we can also add a pinch of chilli pepper.

Adding Ingredients

Once the tomato sauce is ready, add the blanched celery, pitted olives and capers (previously rinsed to remove excess salt). If we want to further enrich the caponata, we can also add pine nuts and sultanas, which add a touch of sweetness and crunch to the dish.

Creation of the sweet-and-sour taste

The secret of Sicilian caponata lies in its characteristic sweet-and-sour flavour. In a glass, we mix white wine vinegar with sugar and pour this mixture directly into the pan with the vegetables. We leave it to cook for a few minutes, stirring well so that all the ingredients take on flavour.

Final Assembly

At this point, we add the fried aubergines to the pan with the rest of the vegetables and stir gently to blend the flavours without breaking up the aubergines. Let everything cook for another 5-10 minutes on a low heat to allow the ingredients to absorb the sweet and sour flavour.

Cooling and resting

Once ready, caponata can be served immediately, but the advice is to let it rest at room temperature for at least an hour or, even better, to prepare it the day before and let it rest in the fridge. Resting allows the flavours to intensify and blend, making the caponata even tastier.

Service

We serve the Sicilian Caponata with a few fresh basil leaves for decoration and a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil. This dish is perfect as an appetiser, side dish or even as a main course, accompanied by a slice of homemade bread or crispy croutons.

Variants

There are many regional variations of caponata, some of which include peppers or courgettes. We can customise the recipe to suit our tastes or the availability of seasonal ingredients. Also, if you want a lighter version, you can bake the aubergines in the oven instead of frying them, resulting in an equally tasty but less caloric result.