Experience the bold flavors of Sicily with this traditional Caponata—a vibrant sweet-and-sour vegetable medley that's an ideal starter or side dish.
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a starter or side dish
Preparation time: 30 minutes
- 1 eggplant
- 1 zucchini
- 2 onions
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 red peppers
- 2 celery stalks
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tsp sugar
- Few sprigs of basil
- 1 baguette or ciabatta
Preparation Method
- Wash the eggplant and zucchini, trim the ends, and cut into cubes. Peel the onions and chop coarsely. Score the tomatoes crosswise on the bottom, blanch briefly in boiling water, peel, quarter, remove seeds, and dice the flesh. Wash the peppers, halve, seed, and dice. Wash the celery, remove tough strings, and slice.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and brown the eggplant. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, stir well, cover, and stew for 5-6 minutes. Stir in celery, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and capers. Cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Preheat the oven broiler. Season with balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly.
- Slice the baguette with a serrated knife and brush both sides with remaining oil. Grill under the broiler until golden on both sides. Stack basil leaves, roll tightly, and slice into thin strips. Stir into the warm caponata and spoon over the crispy toasts. Serve immediately.
Enjoy your meal!
Recipe and image: Beeldigbeeld/Stockfood
