caponata-neapolitan Recipe
Sunday, February 19th, 2012Notes:
The dish more people probably associate with Sicily than any other is caponata, a (generally) eggplant delight that has now spread throughout the Peninsula, much in the manner of cotoletta alla milanese. As is the case with the cotoletta, which is one thing in Milano and too often something else elsewhere, much of the caponata one encounters outside of Sicily is a shadow of what it should be — a zesty summer dish that’s ideal for perking up an indolent appetite on a hot day.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
3 eggplants, 2 oz. capers, 1 heart of celery branch, 4 oz. green olives,1 large white onion, 5 large tomatoes, 1 oz. garlic, ¾ cups olive oil, 1 tsp. wine vinegar, 3 bay leaves, salt, pepper. One can add to these ingredients: 8 anchovies in olive oil, 1 oz semolina sugar , 1 large bunch parsley, 1 small bunch thyme, 1 box of tuna in olive oil
Directions:
Peel and dice the eggplants. Heat oil in a frying pan. Once it’s very hot, toss eggplant in the oil and brown. Drain. Boil a pot of water (with 1 oz. salt for every 4 cups of water used). Wash celery, shred it, and toss it in the boiling water. Blanche for 5 minutes, then drain. Peel the tomatoes, dice, and remove seeds. Peel garlic and onion. Dice. Pit and chop green olives. Coarsely chop capers.

