Today marks the second day of our first cold winter weather!
Some dishes work in every season and caponata is no exception. Serve warm or at room temperature alongside your main - fish, meat, steamed or roasted vegetables. On a hot, sweltering day, enjoy it cold with crusty bread, alongside a salad or sandwich or even with vegetable chips or crackers! Versatile and easy to make, it brings complex flavours and texture to your meal.
Caponata
Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium eggplants, washed, trimmed and cubed
1 large brown onion, peeled and chopped
1 large red pepper, stem and seeds removed and chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
680 grams of crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup green or kalamata olives in brine (no citric acid added), pitted and chopped
1/4 cup raisons, (nothing added), soaked in hot water
6 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, in salt, thoroughly rinsed
1 tbs raw honey
1 bay leaf
1-2 fresh red chilies or 1/4 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
1/3 cup fresh mint, parsley and/or basil, washed, stems removed and finely chopped
Method
Heat the oven to 200 c. Soak your raisons in boiling water.
Line a low, wide dutch oven with baking paper and add the cubed eggplant with 1/4 tsp salt. Mix and spread out evenly. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes until the eggplant is cooked through.
While the eggplant bakes, heat another dutch oven on a medium to low heat. Add in the onions, red pepper, celery and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes until the onions are soft. If the vegetables start to stick, turn the heat down.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, drained raisons, capers, olives, lemon juice, bay leaf and chilies if using. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the baked eggplant and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and add the freshly chopped herbs and taste. Adjust the flavours if need be.
Serve warm, at room temperature or cold depending on the season and your meal!
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!