Paint swatches for Caponata claim it pairs nicely with Leap of Faith (gold) and Deep in Thought (off-white). The same might be said of caponata, the condiment. It takes a minor leap to commit to salting and draining and frying and simmering. But a fridge stocked with the sweet-sharp satisfaction of caponata creates such a lush atmosphere, it leaves the cook deep in happy thought.
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CAPONATA
Prep: 75 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Makes: About 6 cups
2 pounds small, firm eggplant cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Fine sea salt
Vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch curls
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups meaty green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and patted dry
3 tablespoons sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Drain: Toss eggplant cubes with salt. Heap into a colander set over a bowl. Set a plate on top and weight it down with something heavy. Let drain 1 hour. Pat dry.
2. Fry: Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add one-third the eggplant; do not crowd. Fry, stirring now and then, until cubes are browned (adjusting heat so they don’t scorch), about 4 minutes. Drain on paper or kitchen towels. Season with pepper. Repeat, adding oil as needed, frying eggplant and seasoning with pepper in two more batches.
3. Simmer: Wipe out any remaining vegetable oil. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Tumble in onion and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in celery, and cook until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in tomato sauce; simmer 5 minutes. Add olives, capers, sugar and 4 tablespoons vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes, to allow the flavors to mingle and the sauce to thicken.
4. Season: Add the eggplant and parsley; stir to coat. Taste and add more salt, sugar or vinegar if you like. Cook just until eggplant is heated through. Pull pan off heat. Let cool completely.
5. Serve: Nice on crostini, as a side to roast chicken, grilled lamb or sausages. Or top with an egg for a simple meal. Leftover caponata keeps at least 1 week, refrigerated.
Provenance: Adapted from “Preserving Italy” by Domenica Marchetti
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