“Every Sicilian dish is a medley. What they have in common is that they are blends. There are very few straightforward creations in the Sicilian repertory, based on single ingredients treated with simplicity…Every city, town, village, and hamlet in Sicily seems to have its own sacrosanct recipe for caponata, the basic element which links them all together being the eggplant.” (Waverly Root from The Food of Italy (1971).

This version of caponata includes the following less processed ingredient options: Eggplant, Green Pepper, Onion, Celery, Preserved Chopped Tomatoes, Dry Marsala, Red Wine Vinegar, Raisins, Capers, Homemade Apple Juice Concentrate, and Olive Oil.

Equipment

• a Cutting Board and Knife
• a Large Heavy Pan with High Sides and a Lid. This recipe is made with a 12-inch (30.5 cm) Cast Iron Chicken Fryer with a 4.25 quart capacity (about 4 liters). A close European equivalent is a Sauteuse Haute, which has high sides and a long handle. It is deeper than a regular sauté pan.
• a Turner (aka Spatula)
• a Slotted Spoon
• a Heavy-Bottomed Pot and Lid (thefoodlessprocessed uses a 2 and 1/2 quart (2.4 liters) enameled cast iron pot and lid.)
• a Flame Tamer (aka Heat Diffuser, Simmering Plate) is optional but useful for maintaining a low even heat without scorching. The pot does not sit directly over the flame. Some brands may be used on a smooth-top burner.
• a Small Shallow Pan or Rimmed Baking Tray on which to brown the pine nuts
• a Small Bowl in which to soak the raisins in Marsala

Ingredients

• 2 -3 cups of Organic Eggplant (210-315 g) peeled and cut in small cubes: Eggplants aren’t uniform in size. A couple of small or a medium one will do and the amount need not be exact. Firm eggplants are preferable to ones that give when pressed.
• 1/2 cup (about 75 g) of Organic Green Pepper cut in small cubes
• 1 stalk of Organic Celery cut in small pieces
• 1/2 cup (about 80 g) of OrganicYellow Onion, cut in small dice
• 1 cup (240 g) of Preserved Chopped Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons of Organic Raisins
• Imported Italian DOP Dry Marsala
• 2 Tablespoons of Pine Nuts
• 3 Tablespoons of Capers
• about 2 Tablespoons of Homemade Apple Juice Concentrate (or perhaps a little more). Homemade concentrate is a mild sweetener. The recipe is here on the blog: Apple Juice Concentrate.
• about 2 Tablespoons of a Red Wine Vinegar that contains no added coloring (or perhaps a little less or more): Vinegars vary in the intensity of their sharpness.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Making the Caponata

• Place the raisins in a small bowl and pour Marsala over them to cover. After the raisins have soaked for about 30 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside. The Marsala may be refrigerated and used for cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C. Sprinkle the pine nuts into a shallow pan or rimmed baking tray and brown them in the oven. Watch them closely. They will probably brown within 5 minutes or less. Remove them from the oven and pour them into a small bowl to prevent them from darkening further and set them aside.
• Place the pan on the flame tamer. Pour enough olive oil into the pan to cover the bottom. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the eggplant cubes, and stir them about in the oil with the spatula. Partially cover the pan and brown the eggplant slowly, stirring them around occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Add a little more olive oil if the pan becomes dry. Continue browning and cooking the cubes until they are quite tender. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to the pot.
• Add enough olive oil to the pan to coat the bottom.
• Add the green pepper, celery and onion.
• Sauté them slowly, stirring occasionally with a spatula until they soften and the onion begins to brown at the edges.
• Add the tomatoes and some freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat a little, partially cover the pan and cook the mixture until it is thick and sludgy. The tomatoes will begin to darken and the oil will start to separate slightly. Transfer the mixture to the pot containing the reserved eggplant.
• Add the raisins, capers, and pine nuts to the vegetables. Stir in 2 tablespoons of Apple Juice Concentrate and 1 tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar. (The amounts of juice and vinegar may be adjusted further for a more pronounced sweet or sour taste after cooking.)

• Place the pot on the flame tamer and cook the caponata over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes to blend all the elements together.
• If you wish to make an adjustment to the balance of sweet and sour, add more apple juice concentrate and/or vinegar.
• Caponata is good served hot or at room temperature. It travels well for a picnic or other outing.