Caponata
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large aubergines, cut into
- 2cm chunks
- sea salt
- 1 red onion, peeled and
- thickly sliced
- 4 celery stalks, cut into 1cm slices
- 200ml passata
- 75g capers, drained and rinsed
- 150g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 50g sugar
- 50-75ml red wine vinegar
- To serve:
- seeded sourdough, toasted
- buffalo mozzarella
- 50g pine nuts, toasted
- fresh basil
Method
- Heat 5cm oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan until hot.
- Fry the diced aubergine in batches until golden brown and soft.
- Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Wipe out the frying pan and add 4 tbsp oil.
- Heat over a medium-low heat then add the onion and celery and cook for 8 mins.
- Add the passata and cook for another 5 mins, then stir in the capers and olives.
- Add the sugar and vinegar to the pan, allowing the sugar to dissolve in the heat.
- Stir and cook for 5 mins, tasting to see if it needs more sugar or vinegar.
- Turn off the heat, add the aubergines and gently mix together.
- Serve in bowls with grilled sourdough on the side, or serve on grilled sourdough and top with torn mozzarella, pine nuts and basil leaves.