flipSweet-and-Sour Sicilian Caponata
Sweet-and-Sour Sicilian Caponata
Why this dish? On May 11, 1860, Garibaldi and his Thousand landed at Marsala, Sicily, to liberate the island from the Bourbons. Caponata, the glory of Sicilian cuisine with its thousand sweet-and-sour flavors, celebrates this generous land that welcomed him and tipped the scales of the Risorgimento.
A cold stew of fried eggplant, celery, and onions, bound with a sweet-and-sour sauce of vinegar, sugar, capers, and olives. The great Sicilian classic, at once tangy, sweet, and salty.
Ah, Sicily! When we landed at Marsala, this ragged people received us as brothers and shared their bread. Taste this dish from their table: the melting eggplant, the sharp vinegar, a pinch of sugar, the capers and olives — all together, sweet and sour at once, like the passions of a free man. It is eaten cold; the next day it is even better: it is the cuisine of patient people, who know how to wait for their hour as we waited for ours.
- •Eggplants — several (base)
- •Celery stalks — a few ribs (crunchy vegetable)
- •Onions — two (base)
- •Ripe tomatoes — a handful (sauce)
- •Wine vinegar and sugar — to taste (sweet-and-sour)
- •Capers and green olives — a handful (salty flavor)
- •Olive oil — generous (frying)
Sweet-and-Sour Sicilian Caponata
A cold stew of fried eggplant, celery, and onions, bound with a sweet-and-sour sauce of vinegar, sugar, capers, and olives. The great Sicilian classic, at once tangy, sweet, and salty.
Why this dish? On May 11, 1860, Garibaldi and his Thousand landed at Marsala, Sicily, to liberate the island from the Bourbons. Caponata, the glory of Sicilian cuisine with its thousand sweet-and-sour flavors, celebrates this generous land that welcomed him and tipped the scales of the Risorgimento.
Ah, Sicily! When we landed at Marsala, this ragged people received us as brothers and shared their bread. Taste this dish from their table: the melting eggplant, the sharp vinegar, a pinch of sugar, the capers and olives — all together, sweet and sour at once, like the passions of a free man. It is eaten cold; the next day it is even better: it is the cuisine of patient people, who know how to wait for their hour as we waited for ours.
Ingredients (period version)
- Eggplants — several (base)
- Celery stalks — a few ribs (crunchy vegetable)
- Onions — two (base)
- Ripe tomatoes — a handful (sauce)
- Wine vinegar and sugar — to taste (sweet-and-sour)
- Capers and green olives — a handful (salty flavor)
- Olive oil — generous (frying)
Ingredients
- Eggplants — 2 large (base)
- Celery stalks — 3 ribs (crunch)
- Onion — 1 large (base)
- Crushed tomatoes — 250 g (sauce)
- Red wine vinegar — 4 tbsp (acidity)
- Sugar — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Capers — 2 tbsp (salt/umami)
- Pitted green olives — 80 g (flavor)
- Olive oil — 6 tbsp (frying)
Method
- Cut eggplants into cubes, salt them and let them drain 20 min, then fry in olive oil until golden. Set aside.
- Sauté sliced onion and diced celery in the same oil.
- Add crushed tomatoes, capers, and olives; simmer 10 min.
- Pour in vinegar and sugar, reduce until the sauce becomes syrupy (the Sicilian sweet-and-sour).
- Return eggplants, gently mix, cook another 5 min. Let cool and serve at room temperature, ideally the next day.
How it was made : Caponata is a monument of 19th-century Sicilian cuisine, heir to the Arab influences (sugar, sweet-and-sour) that marked the island. It was made in large quantities because it keeps for several days and improves with time: a festive dish as well as a waiting dish.
The contemporary twist : Served as a quenelle on grilled bruschetta, sprinkled with crushed toasted almonds and mint leaves — a nod to the Arab-Sicilian heritage.
Giuseppe Garibaldi · Charactorium
