Ingredients
- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
- 1 large Spanish onion, chopped in 1/2-inch dice
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons currants
- 1 tablespoon hot chili flakes, plus extra for garnish
- 2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (to yield 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon
- 1/4 cup basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 sprigs mint, chopped
- 1 baguette, sliced into 3/4-inch rounds and toasted on grill or in oven
Directions
In a large 12 to 14-inch saute pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions, pine nuts, currants and chili flakes and saute for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
Add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the thyme, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, garnish with mint and chili flakes. Serve the caponata spooned on crostini or in middle of table with crostini on side to allow guests to help themselves.
Basic tomato sauce:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
- 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
- Salt
Tomato Sauce:
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Yield: 4 cups
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Read all 16 reviews
By adisgia_13074607
Rockville Centr...
on January 03, 2012
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I cannot even begin to explain to you all how wonderful this dish is! I cannot stop myself from eating it right out of the pan!
Everyone I make this for raves about it.
I find that the cooking time is longer, but it is well worth the 30 minutes.
By Crysti66
on December 13, 2011
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I made this for a dinner party, and it was a big success. It traveled very well, and was ready to eat as soon as I walked in the door. My boyfriend didn't like something in the recipe, but most everyone else loved it. Pine nuts were $16/bottle at my store, but I was thrilled when I found them in the bulk nuts section! I got the amount I needed for less than $2! Also, I made the tomato sauce in the recipe, and had the leftovers with pasta the next day. Delicious!
By Frankidadio
on October 26, 2011
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I have made this twice and really like it a lot. The cinnamon is a genuine Sicilian touch, and the cocoa is inspired. It improves in the fridge and is amazing on crostini and under a poached egg for breakfast... being a localvore from Massachusetts, I used "Craisin" dried cranberries in place of currants.
Read all 16 reviews