Festive Caponata
worth making two batches of
This year, I will be hosting the Christmas festivities and usually, we stuff our faces with melted cheese, boiled potatoes and gherkins but now that I’m in charge, there will be dips and spreads and a gazillion side dishes. While this caponata could be the main star of the show, it won’t be - but everyone’s favourite appetizer that they’ll might want the recipe for. To make sure that will be on hand, I’ve posted it here and will forward them the link should they inquire.
Servings: 4
Total time: 45 min
For the caponata
instructions
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 eggplant
2 celery sticks or ribs*
1 red pepper
500g cherry tomatoes (I used red, orange and yellow ones)
50g raisins
70g capers & 30ml of their pickling liquid
splash (20ml) white wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato paste
70ml port wine
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
*by this I don’t mean the whole stalk, but two long pieces cut from the rest
To serve
drizzle of olive oil
toasted pine nuts
fresh basil leaves
oven roasted sourdough or crackers
selection of olives, cheeses and grapes
Halve, peel and finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot, then fry until fragrant. Wash and finely chop the eggplant into about 1x1cm big pieces, then add to the pot and fry until softened.
Clean and finely slice the celery sticks as well as the pepper, then add them to the pot. Half, then roughly chop the cherry tomatoes and toss them with the rest. I like to season the vegetables at this point already and add a few generous pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper and thyme so the aromas have time developing.
Pour in the raisins and capers along with their pickling juice as well as a sip of white wine vinegar. Let all this simmer for a few minutes, then add in the tomato paste and deglaze with the port wine. Allow the caponata to cook on low heat for another 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom regularly so nothing burns. Do a taste test and check whether it needs more salt, sweetness (a drop of maple) or acidity (some more vinegar).
Serve slightly warm or cold, with a last drizzle of olive on top, a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and a small handful of fresh basil leaves scattered across. This dish is best enjoyed when dipped into with crunchy bread and devoured in the company of a lush cheeseboard, some grapes and a glass of your favourite red.
