Recipe Laura Bakhtiarian | Photos Naomi Giatas
A great way to get those veggies in, in the most delish way possible!
Time 1 hour
Serves 6 as an entreé
Ingredients
For the Caponata:
- 800g eggplants (about 2 large eggplants), diced into 2cm cubes
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely sliced
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 red capsicum, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 2tbsp tomato paste
- 3tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2tbsp sugar
- 3tbsp capers
- 120g green olives, pitted and halved
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil and parsley, roughly chopped
For the toasts:
- 1 sourdough loaf
- 100g butter, softened
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Sea salt flakes
Method
- Place the diced eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and let it sit for 15 minutes. This draws out bitterness and moisture, allowing it to cook beautifully. Then pat dry with paper towels
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook until golden and soft, (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion, celery and capsicum. Cook for 6–8 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, then add the red wine vinegar, sugar, capers and olives. Return the eggplant to the pan, mixing everything together.
- Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, until thickened but still saucy.
- Once cooked, remove from heat and stir through half the basil and parsley.
- Thinly slice the sourdough bread while the caponata simmers. Toast lightly so they’re warm but still soft inside.
- Mix the softened butter with lemon zest and a pinch of sea salt. Spread generously over the warm toasts.
- Pile generous spoonfuls of warm caponata onto the buttered slices of toast. Scatter with the remaining basil and parsley to garnish.
- Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature and serve as part of a platter with olives, cheeses, and pickles. Enjoy!
We used: Foodland Fresh Eggplants
Foodland Fresh Eggplants are glossy, firm and full of flavour, reflecting their focus on delivering quality produce you can rely on. Perfect for roasting, grilling or adding to hearty winter dishes, they’re a fresh and versatile staple.
WEBSITE :: INSTAGRAM :: FACEBOOK
Advertisement.
