Aubergine (Egg Plant) Caponata
A kaleidoscope of Mediterranean ingredients and flavours come together in this luscious and healthy Aubergine Caponata. Aubergine, red pepper, onion, garlic and celery are lightly caramelised and cooked with capers, olives, tomatoes, raisins and red wine vinegar and then finished with fresh, chopped parsley, toasted pine nuts and a squeeze of zesty lemon. This classic savoury dish ,with bursts of sweetness and pops of acidity, is best served warm or at room temperature. You can serve it as a dip, it is delicious on crispy, olive oil toasted ciabatta, with cous cous or pasta and works wonderfully well with burrata. Indeed, why not add a bowl of caponata to a cheese and/or charcuterie board?
Ingredients
- 30g pine nuts or almonds
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 aubergines/egg plant, trimmed and cut into cubes, 1 – 1½ cms square
- 1 red pepper/capsicum, stem and seeds removed, chopped into cubes
- 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 stick celery, trimmed and sliced
- 16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 50ml red wine vinegar
- 100g pitted green olives, halved if large
- 50g raisins
- 40g/3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 1 – 2 teaspoons sugar or runny honey, to taste
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 10g chopped fresh parsley, or you could use basil
- Juice from ½ lemon, or more or less to taste
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Lightly brown the pine nuts or almonds in a frying or cast iron pan over a moderate heat. This should only take 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
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Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over a moderately high temperature and fry half of the cubed aubergine for around 5 minutes, or until lightly caramelised. Stir from time to time. Remove from the pan and add another tablespoon oil. Fry the second batch, and also remove from the pan.
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Add another 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the chopped onion, red pepper and celery to the pan. Cook, stirring from time to time, for 5 minutes, or until soft.
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Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until aromatic.
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Return the aubergine and add the remaining ingredients, apart from the pine nuts, parsley and lemon, to the pan.
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Stir well and cook, covered for 15 – 20 minutes, until everything is soft.Stir in the chopped parsley, pine nuts and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Serve as a dip, on toasted sourdough, with pasta or couscous or alongsid. a cheese and/or charcuterie board,
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- chopping board and knife
- frying/cast iron pan
- bowl for aubergine/egg plant