Home - By Category - Recipe - Appetizers Page 3 | Italian Page 1

Caponata I

A Searchable Archive of Meal-Master Recipes

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: CAPONATA I
 Categories: Appetizers, Italian
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      2 lb Eggplant; peeled *
           -- and cut into 1-inch cubes
    1/4 c  Extra virgin olive oil
           - more, if necessary
      2    Garlic cloves; mashed
      1 md Yellow or red onion; peeled,
           -- cut in half, and sliced
      2 c  Sliced celery
      2 c  Chopped ripe paste tomatoes
           -- such as Roma
      3    Bay leaves (or more)
           -- (break dried leaves in
           -- 2 or 3 pieces; finely
           -- chop fresh leaves after
           -- removing petiole & midrib
      2 tb Red wine vinegar, or more
           -- to taste
      2 tb Small capers
           -OR- chopped large capers
    1/2 c  Pitted kalamata olives
           -OR other brine-cured olives
           -- coarsely chopped
           Salt
           Freshly ground black pepper

MMMMM--------------------------GARNISH-------------------------------
    1/4 c  Fresh basil leaves
           -- sliced thinly at the
           -- last minute
      3 tb Toasted pine nuts
           -OR- chopped walnuts
           Chopped fresh parsley
 
  Place the eggplant cubes in a colander and sprinkle them generously
  with salt.  Let stand at least 1/2 hour; rinse well under cold water,
  drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large
  heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Gradually add the eggplant,
  stirring constantly. Add more oil as needed to keep the eggplant from
  sticking. As soon as all the eggplant is in the pan, gradually add
  the garlic, onion and celery. Cook until hot through but not browned,
  keeping the heat as high as possible. Stir in the tomatoes, bay
  leaves, vinegar, capers, and olives. Mix well and lower the heat to
  simmer. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is
  tender and the flavor is well developed. Season the caponata with
  salt, pepper, and additional vinegar as needed. Add basil leaves,
  nuts, and parsley. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.
  Variation: Add chopped anchovies, chunks of fish or shellfish, ham,
  Italian sausage, or other cooked meat to the vegetables in the last
  few minutes of cooking time.
 
MMMMM

Display Recipe for Import.