Caponata Recipe Sicilian Eggplant Relish

CAPONATA - SICILIAN EGGPLANT RELISH

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté eggplant cubes till soft and brown, about 10 minutes. Plate them out on a paper towel lined plate.
• In the same pan, discard excess oil leaving behind 2-3 Tbsp. Add onions and sauté till light brown in color. Add in garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.
• Add in chopped bell peppers along with celery and cook for a couple of minutes. Add in salt and pepper. Add in tomatoes and mix everything well.
• Mix in olives, capers, raisins, red chili flakes, red wine vinegar and honey. Simmer for 10 minutes
• Add in chopped parsley along with fried eggplant cubes. Mix well and let everything cook for 5-6 minutes.
• Taste and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with parsley.

CAPONATA RECIPE (SICILIAN EGGPLANT RELISH)

Steps:

• Toss the eggplant with 3 tablespoons oil and spread it out on a baking sheet. Roast until tender and starting to brown, about 20 to 25 minutes in a 425F oven, tossing once halfway through.
• While the eggplant roasts, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened and starting to brown in spots, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and tomato and sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the stock, turn the heat down to medium-low to low, cover the skillet, and cook until the tomatoes are starting to soften, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the eggplant to the tomato mixture and cook (covered) over low until the eggplant is very soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the vinegar, honey, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook (uncovered) until thickened, about 2 to 5 minutes.
• Serve warm, room temperature, or cold topped with pine nuts and basil.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA (SICILIAN VERSION)

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt and place in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until caponata is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Season caponata with vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.