Appetizer Heaven – Caponata

For me, appetizer heaven is Caponata. An Italian dish with eggplant, onions, celery, tomatoes, and olives, it is one of my “go to” appetizers. Whether it’s a big party, a potluck, or just a compulsion to “feed” my freezer, caponata fits the bill.  The original recipe comes from my friend Liz.  Although I have adapted directions and certain ingredients, I think of her whenever I make it, which is often. 

Store-bought caponata is nowhere near as good and it costs a bundle.  Depending on the brand and location, commercially prepared versions cost triple or more than this homemade version.

Tips for Making Caponata

1. Vinegar and Olives Make the Dish. Don’t be fooled when you read the ingredients. Caponata isn’t like ratatouille or tomato sauce.  Instead, it’s a slightly sweet-and-sour, tangy mélange of vegetables that can be served with crackers or thin slices of baguette, as a condiment for fish or chicken, or even dabbed on pasta.  
2. Patience is key. Admittedly this recipe requires patience.  But for an investment of an hour of chopping and an hour of cooking, you’ll be rewarded with a heaping bowl of intense homemade goodness.
3. Make Pieces Small. The vegetables do not get smaller as they cook. So cut them small, the size that fits well for a cracker or slice of baguette. This goes for celery, onion, and tomatoes, as well as eggplant
4. Freeze it or put it in the refrigerator. Caponata freezes well, so make it for that impromptu dinner party you’ve been “planning” forever, no matter when you finally make it happen. Or, put it in the refrigerator where it will last, well-covered, for at least a week.

Even if you aren’t an eggplant fan, consider caponata.  Here you salt, rinse, and dry eggplant into tiny, soft pieces that don’t overwhelm the dish in quantity, taste, or size.  Another surprise (at least to me) is the starring role that slow-cooked celery takes on.   The keys to this dish are the chopping (into small reasonably uniform pieces) and slow cooking stages; everything else is just commentary.

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Caponata

This delicious appetizer goes well on crackers or bread. It has just enough zip to be interesting but isn’t spicy. 

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 2 pounds

Author Laura

Ingredients

• 2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into tiny cubes (908 grams) about 2 medium or 1 large eggplants – cut into tiny (½ inch) cubes
• 2 cups celery, finely chopped (about 284 grams) about 6 stalks
• ¾ cup onion, finely chopped (about 142 grams) about 1 medium onion
• ½ cup olive oil, divided (100 grams)
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar (80 grams)
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1-28 ounce can, good quality Italian-style Roma tomatoes (reserve liquid) (794 gram can)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (29 grams)
• 6 large or 18 small green olives, pitted – rinsed and sliced (about 40-50 grams)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons pine (pignola) nuts – optional (about 35 grams)
• 2-3 tablespoons capers, rinsed (about 18-26 grams)

Instructions

1. Place the small eggplant cubes into a colander set over a bowl and salt them well.  (I use about 2 teaspoons of salt. Don’t be concerned about eating all this salt; you’ll rinse this salt off – it just helps to drain the water out of the eggplant.)  Toss the cubes and salt. Set aside.

2. Heat half the oil (¼ cup) in the large pan until it is hot but not smoking. Put the chopped celery in the pan and cook it over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.  Don’t let it burn, so if the celery is getting browned, turn the heat down. When the celery first cooks, it turns a bright green, then the color lightens as the celery continues to cook.
3. Add the chopped onions and continue cooking (and stirring) for another 8-10 minutes until the onion is almost transparent.  Turn off the heat.

4. Go back to the eggplant and run the cubes (in the colander) under cold water, tossing them with your hands and pressing them until you have thoroughly rinsed the salt out.  Press the cubes again, to drain out as much water as possible.

5. Rinse/dry the bowl (that the colander sat on) and transfer the celery/onion mixture into it.
6. Heat the other ¼ cup of oil in the now-empty pan.  Once it is hot but not smoking, add the eggplant cubes.  Sauté them, stirring every few minutes, for 15-20 minutes.
7. Return the celery/onion mixture to the pan with the eggplant and mix them together.

8. Mix the vinegar and sugar. Then add them to the pan, along with the canned tomatoes (without the juice), the tomato paste, and sliced olives.

9. Stir the mixture until it is well combined, gently breaking up the tomatoes with the spoon.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer it (uncovered) for 15 minutes, stirring just every once in a while to keep it from sticking.  As the caponata cools, add salt and pepper to taste.  Once it is cool, add the pine nuts and/or capers.

Recipe Notes

 For the eggplant, celery, and onion, don’t stress over total uniformity as you chop, but try to get the pieces as small as possible. Keep in mind that spreading caponata on a cracker is not easy if the pieces are too big.  The pieces will diminish in size slightly, but not much during preparation and they remain distinct.  The easiest and most efficient way to cut these vegetables is to make slice, then chop, holding several slices together.

Liz adds 4 rinsed and mashed anchovy fillets, but I don’t because many of my guests aren’t big anchovy fans.  With or without anchovies, this eggplant caponata is definitely a winner.

This post originally published in 2013 has been updated.