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Chef's Mandala

Gourmet Import Universe

Eggplant Caponata

Eggplant Caponata

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Recipe courtesy of

WHAT IS A CAPONATA?

And is it a side dish or a main course?  Today eggplant caponata is often considered a side dish.  But in the past it was the whole center-of-the-plate enchilada–like French ratatouille,  a hearty vegetable stew. In fact they’re very similar with the difference lying mostly in the spice profile. Meaty eggplant, rich tomatoes, spices and garlic is what makes caponata it a good, hearty vegan dish that is both sweet and sour in flavor–from sugar and vinegar.

 

SUGGESTIONS WHEN MAKING A CAPONATA

  • Stay Small for Sweeter Eggplants!

We like to make this dish using smaller Sicilian Graffiti eggplants (they’ve got purple and white stripes) or even Indian eggplants which are both sweeter than large Italian varieties.

  • Roast Before Frying

Roasting the eggplant before frying with other ingredients depends flavor and removes bitterness but if you don’t want to take the extra step, you an fry your eggplant with the other vegetables too. If you take this route, a good tip is to salt your eggplant slices before cooking to leech out the bitter juices. Roast in our light extra virgin olive oil.

  • Be Careful on Your Vinegar Choice

Another tip is to use a vinegar that isn’t too sharp around the edges!  Otherwise it will bring out any inherent bitterness in the eggplant.  Our dark Balsamic vinegar works well here.

 

WHAT PAIRS WELL WITH A CAPONATA?

Eggplant is a pretty friendly wine when it comes to wine pairings.  Lynne Bennet has a good article on this here.   However red wines in general with some body are a safe bet, in particular Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot. (written by Chef Stef)

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13
Eggplant Caponata
Yield: servings   
Difficulty:
Serving Size about 1 cup
Calories 160 cal
Fat Content 7 g

Ingredients
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Directions

1Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the celery and fry for 1 to 2 minutes then add the onion and fry 1 to 2 minutes more until the onion is softened. Stir in the garlic and fry for 45 seconds. Remove this mixture from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
HOW TO CUT PEEL & CUT AN ONIONLesson 56 – How to Peel & Cut an Onion
2Gently press the eggplant pieces in the colander to remove any additional liquid and then add the eggplant pieces to the same pan in which you fried the celery and onion mixture. Fry the eggplant for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides.
3Add the tomato paste and stir very well. Cook for 1 minute and then add the red wine. Cook, stirring, until the wine evaporates.
4Chop the plum tomatoes. Stir in the plum tomatoes, semi dry tomatoes, olives, capers, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Return the celery mixture to the pan and cover. Reduce heat to low, simmer and cook for 20 minutes more. Stir in parsley just before serving.
HOW TO DO TOMATO CONCASSELesson 85 – How to Concasser a Tomato
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SHOW NUTRITION
This is just an example, will depend on the Nutritional API service used.
Per serving, based on 8 servings. (% daily value)
  • Calories296
  • Fat16.8 g (25.9%)
  • Saturated9.3 g (46.6%)
  • Trans0.5 g
  • Carbs24.8 g (8.3%)
  • Fiber0.8 g (3.3%)
  • Sugars7.1 g
  • Protein9.9 g (19.9%)
  • Cholesterol161.7 mg (53.9%)
  • Sodium332 mg (13.8%)

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