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Caponata sicilienne

Name: Caponata sicilienne
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: IT
Ingredients: 1 kg eggplant (globe), cut into 2 cm cubes; 1 tbsp coarse salt, for draining the eggplant; 500 ml sunflower or light olive oil, for frying; 2 celery stalks, cut into 2 cm pieces; 1 large onion, chopped; 400 g tomato passata (or canned chopped tomatoes); 100 g green olives, pitted and halved; 40 g capers, rinsed; 30 g raisins; 30 g pine nuts; 2 tbsp sugar; 60 ml white wine vinegar; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for the sauce; handful fresh basil leaves, torn; to taste salt and black pepper

40m

Prépa

45m

Cuisson

Portions

Moyen

Difficulté

Aubergines frites mijotées avec céleri, olives vertes et câpres dans une sauce tomate aigre-douce brillante.

#sicilian#eggplant#vegetable#sweet-sour#agrodolce#antipasto

Portions

6portions

Ingrédients

Nutrition

calories230

protein3g

carbs18g

fat17g

fiber5g

Par portion

Étapes

Salt the eggplant

Toss the eggplant cubes with the coarse salt and spread them in a colander set over a bowl. Let them drain for 30 minutes, then rinse briefly and pat completely dry with a towel. This step pulls out the bitter juices and extra water so the eggplant fries golden instead of soggy and oily.

1 kg eggplant
1 tbsp coarse salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the eggplant has released beads of liquid and feels drier and firmer when pressed

⏱30:00

Fry until golden

Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 170°C (338°F) — a cube should sizzle gently and rise, not blacken. Fry the eggplant in small batches for 4–5 minutes until deep golden on all sides, then lift out onto paper towels to drain. Frying in batches keeps the oil hot enough that the eggplant seals quickly and stays creamy inside instead of soaking up oil.

1 kg salted eggplant (from step 1)
500 ml frying oil

✅ C'est prêt quand : the cubes are golden-brown and crisp outside, soft and creamy when you bite one

⏱4:30

Blanch the celery

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Build the sofrito

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Add the relish ingredients

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Finish with agrodolce

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Rest and serve

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Salt the eggplant

1 kg eggplant
1 tbsp coarse salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the eggplant has released beads of liquid and feels drier and firmer when pressed

⏱30:00

Fry until golden

1 kg salted eggplant (from step 1)
500 ml frying oil

✅ C'est prêt quand : the cubes are golden-brown and crisp outside, soft and creamy when you bite one

⏱4:30

Blanch the celery

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Build the sofrito

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Add the relish ingredients

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Finish with agrodolce

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Rest and serve

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History & Culture

The Story Behind the Dish

📍 Sicily, Italy📅 Likely developed between the 1600s and 1800s🍆 IT

Caponata grew out of Sicily's long history as a crossroads of Arab, Spanish and Italian cooking, where sweet-and-sour sauces, raisins, pine nuts and capers were already common in the island's kitchens. Eggplant, introduced to Sicily centuries earlier through Arab trade, became the heart of the dish once frying in olive oil was the everyday way to cook it.

Every Sicilian family and region has its own version, some adding peppers, octopus or almonds, but the fried eggplant and the agrodolce sauce of sugar and vinegar remain the dish's unchanging soul.

⭐ Why It's Famous

Caponata is loved for its bold balance of sweet, sour, salty and savory in a single spoonful, and because it tastes better the longer it rests, making it a dish built for sharing and for leftovers.

💡 Fun Fact

The name is thought to come from 'capone', a prized fish once served with a similar sweet-sour sauce in old Sicilian taverns, long before eggplant became the main ingredient.

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