I love eggplant and apparently so does my dear Stanley Tucci. This recipe is from his first cookbook and is a recipe of his mother’s. In fact, Stanley’s mother made this caponata and served at his first wedding to his late wife Kate. Caponata should be “agro dolce” which means slightly sour and slightly sweet and this dish is just that.
I did make one change however, I never cook eggplant without first salting and sweating it. This will remove moisture and bitterness from the eggplant and it will cook much crisper and taste much better. I must say this dish was delicious and what a great accompaniment to fish, chicken, pasta or just some crusty bread!
1 medium eggplant diced
11/2 C onions chopped
1 C celery chopped
1 28 0z can whole plum tomatoes
1 Tbs capers ( I added two)
1 Tbs pinenuts ( I added two)
1 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tsp salt
Ground black pepper
Dice eggplant and salt liberally. Allow eggplant to sweat for about 1 hour Sidenote: I place a strainer with the eggplant over a bowl to catch the moisture coming out, you will be amazed at how much liquid you will get.
In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 cup olive oil, brown eggplant for about 8 to 10 minutes until soft and slightly browned. Don’t let eggplant get too soft. Remove and place in a large saucepan.
Fry onion in the same skillet, adding more oil if necessary, until wilted. Add celery and tomatoes, crushing slightly. Simmer for about 15 minutes until celery is tender but still crisp. Add capers and pine nuts. Combine mixture and add to eggplant in a saucepan. In a small saucepan dissolve sugar in the vinegar and warm until the sugar dissolves. Add to eggplant, cover, simmer over low until tomato is cooked and vegetables are tender but not mushy about 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow cooling before refrigerating. Can be prepared several days ahead. Can be frozen. This appetizer should be served at room temperature.
