Italian Caponata

INGREDIENTS

  • 700g long eggplants
  • Rock salt
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 celery stick
  • 1 red or white onion
  • 2 carrots
  • Few tbsp of green olives (non-pitted)
  • 1 tbsp desalinated capers
  • 400g fresh tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp + half glass of red wine vinegar (or white)
  • Une sprinkle of roasted almonds or pine nuts
  • Basil to taste

PREPARATION

Clean the eggplants.
Cut the eggplants in slices before and then in 1cm cubes.
Put the eggplants cubes together with some rock salt in a colander and cover it with a cloth or a dish.
Let the eggplants clean inside the colander for at least half an hour.
Rinse the eggplants after they have been cleansed, dry them with some kitchen paper.
Prepare now the bell peppers; clean them, dry them and cut them also in 1 cm cubes.
Pour enough extra virgin olive oil in a pan with high edges.
Fry first the eggplants and then all the bell peppers.
Drain the vegetables, dry them and let them lose the excess oil.
Cut the celery in cubes as well and boil them with a tbsp of vinegar.
The onion instead, cut in washers.
In a large pot, heat up some olive oil and let the onion fry. Add the pieces of carrot, mix and let cook for some minute before proceeding.
Add the tomatoes, mix and let them cook on medium heat. Pour the half glass of red wine vinegar and let it blend.
In the end add the sugar and mix.
Add the celery and let cook for some mins.
In the end add the eggplants and bell peppers, mix and continue cooking.
Olives can be added, best in pieces, while the capers must be added entire.
Finally, roast the almonds and add them entire to the vegetables.
Serve hot.