Sicilian Caponata
As for many Sicilians, summer means sun, sea, holiday, and lots of granitas. It also brings a colourful variety of vegetables to the table. Among them, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines all come together to make one of the most iconic, and yet traditional, dishes of this period of the year. Caponata is the food that many moms and nonnas are probably making whilst you are reading this.
As this is a popular dish within the Sicilian tradition, it’s likely that you will find many variations of this recipe. I’m choosing to use peppers in mine. So, let's get you a taste of this sweet-and-sour bliss.
Ingredients:
2 Aubergines
2 Red Peppers
1 Red Onion
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Celery Stalks
1/2 Tin of Peeled Tomatoes
50g of Green Olives
1 tbsp of Capers
2 tbsp of White Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp of Brown Sugar
Method:
Chop the aubergines into small cubes, add salt and leave in a sieve while you prep the rest. It will take out all the bitterness. Then chop the remaining vegetables into big chunks.
Slightly fry the onion, garlic and celery in a pan with 150ml of olive oil for a few minutes at medium heat. Add the peppers and cook on medium heat until they start to sizzle. Then add green olives and capers and cook for 5 minutes until the peppers start to soften. Season and stir thoroughly.
Now its time to add the aubergines. Stir to combine all the ingredients and continue to cook for other 5 minutes.
Lastly, add the peeled tomatoes roughly chopped and cook for approx 10 more minutes. When it's ready, add the vinegar and the sugar for that unmistakable sweet-sour taste.
Best served on top of a toasted slice of bread with parsley.
Written by Bruno Cafiso
Ciao I'm Bruno, a Philosophy graduate, originally from Sicily, with a keen eye for human perception and decision-making process. Writing is my passion, but I'm also passionate about food, mainly because of its social and cultural aspect. I'm curious and I love travelling, while I focus on what's essential in life, trying to live with less stuff and more meaning.