Recipe: Spicy Caponata

Spicy Caponata.

Ordered some caponata at a venue the other night and it was pleasant but bland. Our Spicy Caponata is anything but. It’s borrowed from an Ottolenghi recipe which is online but has never been published in any of his books. The key is the sweet/sour balance with a touch of heat. Makes 6-8 appetizer servings.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lbs
¼ c Kosher salt
2 T good olive oil
½ c celery, finely diced; use the tender inner stalks and some leaves are ok
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
½ red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 T tomato paste
½ c water
½ t harissa or red pepper flakes
2 T capers
¼ c tart olives (kalamatas or green), pitted and chopped
½ t sugar
1 T red wine vinegar
¼ c golden raisins
1 t lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method: chop the eggplant into cubes no bigger than ¾ inch square. (Remember that this and all ingredients will be served over toasts, though they will shrink and soften as they cook.) Toss with salt and allow to drain for at least 30 minutes. Wash off the salt and thoroughy dry the eggplant cubes with a towel.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or sautier and cook the celery till soft, then add and sauté onions, garlic and red pepper in that order. Add the eggplant cubes and sauté until tender, 10 minutes or so, turning frequently. (They probably won’t need oil but add a little if the pan dries out.)

Now comes the fun part: building your sweet/sour/spicy flavor profile. Add the tomato paste and water and stir till you have a nice gravy. Add the harissa, capers, olives, sugar, vinegar, raisins and lemon juice and salt and pepper as needed (It might not need any additional salt after the initial salt cure), tasting and adjusting proportions as you go. When the sauce is so delicious you want to drink it out of the pan, you’re done.

Serve caponata cold or at room temperature with bruschetta, sourdough or sturdy crackers. It will be better the next days and for several days to come and can also be frozen for future use.