La Caponata - A Matter of Taste and Tradition

Enjoyed especially during the late summer or early fall when the main ingredients are fresh from the market or your garden.

Caponata from Culinary Wall Art

Although our Italian family is from Northern Italy (Milan to the Veneto) we enjoy and appreciate the foods of the South. Our Nonna was a Trevisan from the North and our grandfather was from the South so it was only natural to have blended family traditions and food was no exception. 

Cooking in Italy has always been ingredient driven emphasizing regional traditions based on local ingredients. Beyond the culinary differences within and between Italy’s North and Mezzogiorno (a term used to describe Southern Italy because of the intensity of the sunshine at mid-day) there are local variations based on taste, traditions and locality.

As in this signature dish from Southern Italy, Sicilian caponata. A fusion of the flavors of Southern Italy with variations that are enjoyed from Sicily north to Naples. In Italy la caponata is identified as a companatico, meaning to be eaten with bread (quello che si mangia insieme col pane) as a side dish or filling.

Palermo or Sicilian Eggplant Caponata di Melanzane

As Caponata di Melanzane is most widely associated with the city of Palermo the most authentic version of this dish is said to be made from a variety of eggplant known as the Palermo violet. Beautiful and shiny with a light purple color and dark purple shadowing, the Palermo variety has a rounded shape and a dense, compact center with a perfect texture to avoid absorbing too much oil when frying. While the Palermo or "Sicilian" eggplant is traditional, other varieties can be used. The key is to select an eggplant with the right texture including the globe eggplant that is readily available in most supermarkets.

La Caponata

Enjoy this version of a classic Palermo caponata made with eggplant in a sweet and sour agrodolce sauce with olives, capers, celery, onions and tomatoes. A Palermo-style caponata is one of the many versions found throughout Southern Italy, Catania and Trapani style being two others. A Catanese caponata includes bell peppers in addition to eggplant, celery, onions, capers, and olives while a Trapanese caponata is made with peppers and almonds.

Italians love to debate the authentic version of a regional dish and caponata is no exception. According to culinary historians, there are at least 37 officially recognized variations of the Sicilian caponata and that doesn't even include the many traditional family recipes. All are a matter of taste and tradition and all are perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or topping for toasted bread.

Ingredients and method for a classic Palermo Caponata:

• 1.5 lbs of eggplants 

• 1/2 red onion (sliced 1/2 inch thick)

• 1 stalk of celery (cook the celery in boiling water for 4 minutes then diced)

• handful of Castelvetrano or other green olives (crush the olives into big pieces with your hands)

• 1 tbsp of capers (rinsed, if they are preserved in salt)

• 6 – 8 red ripe peeled tomatoes (diced into small pieces)

• sea salt

• 2 tbsp wine vinegar

• extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Small dice the eggplants about ½-inch then sprinkle with sea salt and drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes up to 60 minutes to draw out the bitterness. Rinse well and pat dry. Heat olive oil in heavy pan until hot. Fry eggplant until softened and golden and then remove from the oil, adding onion, celery, olives and the capers to the olive oil. Let simmer. Add tomatoes. Salt as needed and cook on low heat for about 15 mins. Return the eggplant to the mixture, adding a glass of wine vinegar in which you have dissolved the sugar. Let vinegar evaporate. Sauté 10 minutes more. Season final product with sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper. For a smoother consistency, the final mixture can be slightly blended to use as a spread. Let the caponata rest at least 8 -24 hours in the refrigerator to bring out the best of flavors. Serve at room temperature.