Description
Hearty Jamie Oliver eggplant caponata melds Sicilian flavors into a robust vegetable medley. Rustic ingredients blend seamlessly, offering a delightful Mediterranean experience you can savor with crusty bread or pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large eggplant (cut into 1-inch/2.5 cm cubes)
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (cored and chopped)
- 2 small celery stalks (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
- 2 tbsps capers
- ¼ cup (40 g) pitted green olives (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup (40 g) raisins
- 2 tsps honey
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ to ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsps chopped fresh mint
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Cube eggplant and salt generously to extract moisture, enhancing flavor profile and texture.
- Roasting: Spread eggplant on rimmed baking sheet in single layer. Roast for 25-30 minutes, rotating periodically until edges transform into deep golden caramelized surfaces.
- Vegetable Sauté: Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium temperature. Combine onions, bell peppers, and celery, sautéing until vegetables become translucent and softened, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Flavor Building: Incorporate crushed tomatoes, capers, Kalamata olives, raisins, honey, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Deglaze with red wine vinegar and white wine, stirring to create harmonious mixture.
- Simmering and Reduction: Lower heat to medium-low, allowing sauce to gently simmer for 10 minutes. Concentrate flavors and slightly thicken liquid, creating rich, complex base.
- Final Integration: Fold roasted eggplant into simmering sauce, ensuring complete coating. Cook additional 2-3 minutes to marry flavors and create cohesive dish.
- Serving: Garnish with fresh parsley and mint. Serve warm as vibrant Mediterranean-inspired side or light main course, showcasing robust Mediterranean culinary traditions.
Notes
- Manage Moisture Effectively: Salt eggplant cubes beforehand to extract excess water, preventing soggy texture and ensuring crisp, caramelized edges during roasting.
- Optimize Caramelization: Roast eggplant in a single layer, turning occasionally to achieve deep golden-brown color and intense, rich flavor development.
- Balance Sweet and Tangy: Combine raisins, honey, capers, and vinegar to create a complex flavor profile that enhances the overall taste of the caponata.
- Simmer for Depth: Allow sauce to reduce slowly, enabling ingredients to meld together and concentrate flavors, creating a harmonious and robust Mediterranean-style dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg