In Syracuse, chef Eric Scuotto took me into his childhood home to show me how he makes the caponata he grew up with using just eggplants, bell pepper, carrots, celery, pine nuts, capers, sugar, and vinegar. That’s it.
This is an adaptation of Scuotto’s recipe that errs on the sour side with a healthy dose of vinegar and a lighter sprinkling of sugar. Feel free to adapt it yourself to suit your tastes.
Read more about the Jewish history of Sicily and caponata.
Ingredients
Servings 4
- sunflower oil for frying
- 1 eggplant cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- ½ large carrot finely chopped
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons brine-packed capers drained
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
How to Make Caponata
Amount per Serving
Calories
397
% Daily Value*
Fat
24
g
37
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
12
g
Monounsaturated Fat
6
g
Sodium
985
mg
43
%
Potassium
1420
mg
41
%
Carbohydrates
43
g
14
%
Fiber
17
g
71
%
Sugar
25
g
28
%
Protein
10
g
20
%
Vitamin A
5443
IU
109
%
Vitamin C
30
mg
36
%
Calcium
83
mg
8
%
Iron
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- Fill a medium-sized frying pan with about a half-inch or sunflower oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is sizzling (you’ll hear a few pops), lower the heat to medium and add the eggplant for about 8 - 10 minutes or until it’s lightly browned on all sides.
- Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl. If the eggplant looks too oily, you can put paper towels in the bowl to absorb some of the oil like latkes.
- Add the chopped bell pepper and cook for about 3 - 5 minutes. Transfer it to the bowl with a slotted spoon and add in both the celery and carrots for about two minutes. They should be crispy. Transfer to the bowl with the slotted spoon again.
- Remove the oil from the skillet (pouring it into a separate container, never down the drain) and wipe it down with a paper towel. Put all of the vegetables back in over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, capers, sugar, and white vinegar. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Add kosher salt to taste and serve at room temperature or keep in fridge until ready to serve, it should be good for a day or two.
I will be making this caponata for this coming Shabbat, thank you!