Sicilian Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant

Ingredients

• 800 g Eggplant
• 2 stalks Celery
• 1 medium Onion
• 300 g Tomato passata
• 100 g Green olives
• 30 g Capers
• 50 ml White wine vinegar
• 30 g Sugar
• 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 500 ml Vegetable oil
• 6 leaves Basil
• 1 to taste Salt
• 1 to taste Black pepper

Steps

1. Wash the eggplants, trim the ends and cut them into cubes of about 2-3 cm, leaving the skin on.
2. Layer them in a colander, salting each layer, and let them drain for about 30 minutes to release their bitter water.
3. Meanwhile wash the celery stalks, blanch them in water for a few minutes, then drain and cut them into small pieces.
4. Thinly slice the onion.
5. Rinse the eggplant cubes, dry them well with a kitchen towel and fry them in plenty of hot seed oil, a few at a time, until golden.
6. Drain them on paper towels.
7. In a large pan heat the extra-virgin olive oil and gently soften the onion over low heat.
8. Add the celery and let it flavour for a few minutes.
9. Add the tomato passata, the desalted capers and the pitted green olives.
10. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
11. In a small pan dissolve the sugar in the white wine vinegar and pour it into the pan, letting the sweet-and-sour mixture reduce over high heat for a couple of minutes.
12. Add the fried eggplant to the sauce, stir gently and cook for another 5 minutes so everything blends well.
13. Turn off the heat, perfume with torn basil leaves and let it cool slightly.
14. Serve the caponata at room temperature.

Tips

• Caponata is even better made ahead: let it rest in the fridge for a few hours or until the next day so the flavours meld.
• For a lighter version you can grill or oven-roast the eggplant instead of frying, but frying remains the traditional method.