Aubergines, too, were believed to be first grown by medieval Saracen farmers and gardeners, though not fully accepted by islanders as being edible until the 16th century. This classic Sicilian dish dates back almost that far, made with sautéed aubergines, tomatoes, celery, olives and onions, then dressed with capers and a sweet-sour mixture of olive oil, vinegar and sugar. Again, a great number of variations exist, some including sweet peppers, pine nuts or raisins, but without that distinct agrodolce (sweet-sour) taste first introduced by those early Arab chefs, it is not considered a true caponata
| Created by | Spinneys |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Serves | Makes 500ml |
| Cuisine | Italian |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Preparation | Easy |
| Calories | 786 |
| Fat | 69.3g |
| Saturates | 7g |
| Protein | 6g |
| Carbs | 44.6g |
| Sugars | 29g |
| Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated. See details | |
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
Download PDFCube the aubergines and salt them generously. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Heat the oil to 180°C.
Rinse and pat the aubergine cubes dry then deep fry in two batches until a dark golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Peel and chop the onion.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion and sauté over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until golden. Stir in the sugar and cook for a further 10-20 minutes, until caramelised.
Meanwhile, soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes. Shred the basil. Chop the celery.
Once the onions have caramelised add the tomatoes, vinegar, and celery. Simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the capers, olives, drained raisins, pine nuts, basil and aubergines. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
Allow to cool completely before serving.
