Caponata (Sicilian Sweet-and-Sour Aubergine)
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking.
Roasted aubergine cubes combined with onion, celery, garlic and peppers, cooked down with tomatoes, then simmered with capers, olives, sugar and cider vinegar until thick and glossy. Best rested overnight.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Roast the aubergine. Heat the oven to 220 °C. Toss the aubergine with 3 tbsp oil on the lined tray and roast for 25-30 min, turning once, until golden and soft.
- 2
Cook the vegetables. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in the pan over medium heat and cook the onion and celery for 5 min. Add the garlic for 1 min, then the peppers and half the salt, and cook for 8 min until nearly tender.
- 3
Add the sweet and sour. Add the roasted aubergine, tomatoes and remaining salt and cook for 5-10 min, stirring and scraping, until thickened. Stir in the capers, olives, sugar and vinegar, lower the heat and cook for 20-25 min, stirring often, until thick and glossy. Season with pepper.
- 4
Rest. Cool to room temperature, and if possible chill overnight. Serve at room temperature scattered with basil.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 5 days; the flavour improves after a day. Bring back to room temperature before serving. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Low saturated fat: 0.9 g saturated fat per 100 g, 7.8% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
- High fibre: 3.3 g fibre per 100 kcal (needs ≥ 3 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 194 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
4.2 g per serving
8.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 16.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- rimmed baking tray
- baking paper
- large heavy frying pan or sauté pan
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 207 kcal |
| Protein | 3.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.7 g |
| of which sugars | 14.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 4.2 g |
| Fat | 12.8 g |
| of which saturates | 1.8 g |
| Fibre | 6.8 g |
| Salt | 1.51 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
