Caponata is a dish I make regularly - several times a year. I love aubergines and because I know this recipe by heart it's the one I tend to revert to, rather than doing imam bayildi or baba ganoush instead.
This isn't exactly what my caponata looks like - all the Google images contained a sprig of basil, which isn't an ingredient in my recipe - which isn't my recipe of course but, approximately - Jane Grigson's.
For a nice bowl of it, which makes a good anti pasta for maybe 6 people, or more if you are doing a number of antipasti, this is the recipe. It can be eaten hot or cold, and the flavour matures over a day or so.
Cut 2-3 aubergines and cut into large chunks, you can salt them and get the juice out if it bothers you, but I find it doesn't make any difference. Fry the aubergines until soft, in a mix of olive and regular vegetable oil. Drain the aubergines on kitchen paper and put to one side. Take the largest outer ribs of a celery head - about 6 or 8 of them and cut into chunks, throw into boiling water, bring water back to the boil and drain. Take 2-3 onions and fry gently until soft and translucent, then add either a 400g can of tomatoes, chopped, or about 8 fresh, peeled tomatoes, chopped, cook together for about 10 minutes, then add 3 tbsps of wine vinegar and about 1 tbsp sugar, mix in and cook for a few minutes, then add the aubergines and celery and put a lid on. Cook on a low heat, and check occasionally to be sure it doesn't stick (add a little water if it does). Cook for about 40 mins.
Chop up several stalks of parsley and their leaves, and stir in, continue cooking for a couple of minutes, then chop up 5-6 tinned anchovies (this is optional) and stir in so that they can melt into the vegetables, finally add either a tablespoon or so of pine kernels or (sometimes I have both) a dozen or so stuffed olives, sliced.
For a nice bowl of it, which makes a good anti pasta for maybe 6 people, or more if you are doing a number of antipasti, this is the recipe. It can be eaten hot or cold, and the flavour matures over a day or so.
Cut 2-3 aubergines and cut into large chunks, you can salt them and get the juice out if it bothers you, but I find it doesn't make any difference. Fry the aubergines until soft, in a mix of olive and regular vegetable oil. Drain the aubergines on kitchen paper and put to one side. Take the largest outer ribs of a celery head - about 6 or 8 of them and cut into chunks, throw into boiling water, bring water back to the boil and drain. Take 2-3 onions and fry gently until soft and translucent, then add either a 400g can of tomatoes, chopped, or about 8 fresh, peeled tomatoes, chopped, cook together for about 10 minutes, then add 3 tbsps of wine vinegar and about 1 tbsp sugar, mix in and cook for a few minutes, then add the aubergines and celery and put a lid on. Cook on a low heat, and check occasionally to be sure it doesn't stick (add a little water if it does). Cook for about 40 mins.
Chop up several stalks of parsley and their leaves, and stir in, continue cooking for a couple of minutes, then chop up 5-6 tinned anchovies (this is optional) and stir in so that they can melt into the vegetables, finally add either a tablespoon or so of pine kernels or (sometimes I have both) a dozen or so stuffed olives, sliced.
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