Variations on this wonderful eggplant dish, la caponata, are enjoyed from Sicily north to Naples! Enjoy this version of a Neapolitan friend.
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggplants
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- handful of pitted black olives
- a handful of capers (under salt, if possible)
- 6 – 8 very ripe Roma tomatoes
- salt
- wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
Dice the eggplants and cover with salt so as to draw out the bitterness. After 1/2 hr, rinse well and dry. Heat olive oil in stainless steel pan til very hot. Fry eggplant and then remove from the oil, adding diced onion, diced celery, olives and the capers (rinsed, if they are preserved in salt) to the olive oil. Let simmer. Add tomatoes diced into small pieces. Salt as needed
and cook on low heat for about 15 mins. Return the eggplant to the mixture, adding a glass of wine vinegar in which you have dissolved 1 tsp sugar. Let vinegar evaporate. Serve la caponata at room temperature.
