It’s hard to imagine my late summer kitchen without eggplant.
Strolling the farmers markets, I can’t hold back and pile my basket with eggplant in all shapes and sizes—black, thin, and footlong; bright fuchsia; magenta with white striations; pale violet; light green; egg-shaped ivory.
Given its mild flavor and dense texture, there’s a lot eggplant can do. It often stands in for meat when sautéed or in casseroles or on the grill.
At the farmers market, look for firm, shiny eggplants that are heavy for their size. A botanical cousin to the tomato, pepper, and potato, eggplant doesn’t like the cold so do not refrigerate it. I like to display a variety of them in a big basket on the kitchen counter to use throughout the week. Despite their different colors and shapes, all eggplants taste similar and can be used interchangeably in most recipes. Our local eggplant is so fresh that there’s no need to salt before using; that’s a trick to use with eggplants that may have passed their peak. Peel them if you must, but I seldom bother.
As eggplant season winds down, I’ve been making Sicilian caponata, a sweet-savory compote of Arabic inspiration. It’s a powerful collision of flavors—eggplant, capers, olives, onions, tomatoes, raisins, and vinegar. Try it tossed with pasta, folded into eggs, smeared on a pizza or piled on Italian sausage. Layer it over soft cheese on bruschetta for a hearty appetizer or to serve as a side to a bowl of soup.
Make a big batch of caponata to store in a covered container in the refrigerator; it will keep for several weeks. Caponata will spark the most ordinary ingredients and make simple weeknight dinners sing.
Eggplant Caponata
Serves 4 to 6.
Eggplant’s neutral flavor and dense texture act like a sponge in this pungent Sicilian version of ratatouille. Make it a day or so ahead to allow all the components to marry. Serve it at room temperature on top of crostini layered with soft cheese (chèvre, cream cheese, mozzarella … whatever you please).
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 eggplants (about 2 pounds) cut into 1-inch cubes
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 large fennel bulb, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1/4 cup pitted black olives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1/4 cup raisins or currants
- Generous pinch crushed red pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Generous pinch brown sugar, to taste
Generously film a wide, heavy skillet with oil and set over medium heat. When the oil becomes wavy, add the eggplant cubes and sizzle until they become brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the cooked eggplant to a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add more oil to the pan as needed and continue sautéing the onion, garlic, and fennel until they begin to color. Lower the heat and cover the pan to steam the vegetables and cook until they soften and release their juices, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the cover and add the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, olives, capers, currants, a pinch of red pepper, bay leaf, and the vinegar.
Return the eggplant to the skillet and stir. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 5 minutes. Check to see if the pan becomes too dry, adding a little water as necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with brown sugar and more salt and pepper as needed.
Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and allow the flavors to mellow for about an hour at room temperature before serving or transfer to a covered container and refrigerate.
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