Saturday, August 25, 2007
0 Recipe #16: Caponata Siciliana
Caponata is one of my favorite appetizers (antipasti). It goes really well with rustic breads, & also makes a tasty mid-afternoon snack. Of course, it's very healthy as well. :)
Caponata Siciliana
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 large eggplant (aubergine), about 1 lb., unpeeled & cut into 1/2" chunks
2 fresh artichoke hearts, choke discarded & leaves removed, chopped into 1/2" squares
1 c. celery, leaves discarded & diced into 1/4" pieces (about 2-3 stalks)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded & cut into 1/2" squares
1/4 c. peperoncini (marinated, sweet banana peppers), seeded & cut into 1/2" squares (about 3 whole medium-sized peppers)
3 Tbsp. capers, drained
4 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon zest
4 small anchovy fillets, soaked in milk for 10 minutes (to remove "fishiness"), then drained, & chopped (optional)
14 green (&/or black, i.e., Kalamata/Greek) olives, chopped into small pieces
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp. Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves (about 2 sprigs)
2 tsp. thyme leaves (about 3 sprigs)
2 tsp. thyme leaves (about 3 sprigs)
Directions: Sauté onion & garlic in olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggplant & artichokes & cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Then add celery, bell pepper, & peperoncini. Cover & cook until firm but tender, about 5-6 more minutes. Add capers, olives, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, lemon zest, parsley, oregano, thyme, & anchovies (optional) & bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Season with black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, until the mixture has a thick & chunky texture, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a container & cool. Cover with sealable lid & chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Yield: About 6-8 c.
Alternate Preparation Ideas: The other way you can make this dish is by cooking only the onions, celery, & eggplant, & then combining them with the rest of the ingredients in their raw form. Also, if (1 large) eggplant is unavailable, 2 mediums-sized zucchini will make a nice substitute.
To make this recipe vegetarian or vegan, simply omit the anchovies soaked in milk.
To make this recipe vegetarian or vegan, simply omit the anchovies soaked in milk.
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