Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes, salt generously, and let it sit in a colander for 30 minutes to drain excess moisture.
Rinse the eggplant and pat it dry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the eggplant until golden brown. Set aside.
In the same skillet, sauté the chopped onion and celery until softened. Add the diced tomatoes, olives, and capers.
Stir in the sugar and vinegar. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Return the fried eggplant to the skillet. Mix well to combine with the sauce.
Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the caponata has thickened to your liking.
Let the caponata cool to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
It was okay. I found the celery to be a bit overpowering. Maybe I added too much. The sauce itself was well made, though.
This is now a staple in my kitchen! The recipe is so flavorful, authentic, and easy. I love serving it with bruschetta. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I found the caponata to be too sweet. I followed the recipe exactly, but the sweetness was overpowering the other flavors. I'll try reducing the sugar next time.
It was good, but not great. The sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste, and I felt the eggplant could have been cooked a little longer. I will try adjusting the sugar next time.
A decent caponata. Nothing particularly special, but it was tasty enough. I might try adding some raisins next time to add more complexity.
