Caponata Italian Eggplant Relish Recipes

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.

CAPONATA (ITALIAN EGGPLANT RELISH)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pine nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven to toast for 3-4 minutes. Watch closely as they can burn quickly. Remove from oven and set aside. Place the cubed eggplant in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Let stand at least 1/2 hour. Rinse well under cold water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a deep heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and cook until tender, stirring as needed, until light golden brown. Remove the eggplant and set aside. Add the garlic and onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add the peppers, celery, tomatoes, and browned eggplant and let cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, uncovered. Mix the sugar and red wine vinegar together (the sugar may not fully dissolve). Add it to the vegetable mixture and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until thick. Stir in the capers, olives, and anchovies and let cook 3-5 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the basil, parsley, and toasted pine nuts. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Dice the eggplant into ½ to 1 inch cubes (skin on). Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of kosher salt over the eggplant and toss to combine. Place the eggplant in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant to remove the salt and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.
• In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the diced onion and celery and cook for about 7 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
• To the skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the drained and dried eggplant and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add in the onion celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, capers, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, and remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook until all of the vegetables have softened, about 20 minutes.
• Let caponata cool to room temperature before serving, or cover and refrigerate and served cold. Stir in or top with fresh basil before serving.

CAPONATA

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt, let drain: Toss the diced eggplant with about 2 tablespoons salt and put into a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate that just about fits the bowl and weigh it down with a heavy can. Let this sit for 1 hour. Drain the eggplant, rinse with fresh water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cook onions, celery, garlic: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery, season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to soften - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes more. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• Sear the eggplant: Wipe the pan with a paper towel, turn the heat to high and add the remaining olive oil. Let this heat until the oil is nearly smoking. Add the eggplant and spread it out in as thin a layer as you can in the skillet. Let this sizzle for 1-2 minutes before stirring, then let it sit for a full minute before stirring again. Cook like this for 5-6 minutes.
• Combine with other ingredients: Add the onion-celery mixture, the tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, capers and red pepper flakes. Stir well. Add the vinegar, sugar and tomato paste and stir once more. Cook, stirring occasionally until eggplant is very soft, about 8 minutes.
• Let cool, add basil, salt, pepper: Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Caponata can be refrigerated, covered, up to 5 days.