When I think of the best food in the world, I think of Sicily. Every region in Italy has its own peculiar cuisine depending on what is locally available but Sicily really just has it all. When I visited Catania the first time I ordered a caponata as part of my evening meal. It was ridiculously cheap and ugly to look at. I still remember the first forkful I had.
The original recipe call for quite a bit of sugar, we’ll do without here.
Ingredients (4-6 servings):
Aubergine, 450 gr
Celery, 3 branches (outer strings removed)
Red onion, 1
Green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped, 60 gr
Capers, rinsed, 30 gr
Tomato sauce, possibly home-made, 225 ml
White wine vinegar, 40 ml
Honey, 1/2 Tbsp
Red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp
Fresh mint, chopped, a handful
Olive oil, 250 ml
Salt to taste
Ribeye steak, about 200 gr per serving
Olive oil, 1 Tbsp
Maldon salt, to taste
Chop the celery in small slices (about 1 cm) and simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Cut the aubergine in uneven cubes about 3 cm in length. Fry them in olive oil without overcrowding too many in the frying pan, remove them with a slotted spoon once they are browned and rest them on a large plate lined with paper towels. Season to taste.
In a large skillet, heat some extra virgin olive oil then add the thinly sliced onion, stirring frequently until golden brown. Add the celery, olives, capers, tomato sauce, vinegar, honey, pepper flakes, Cook for a few minutes on medium heat stirring frequently, then add the aubergine. Cook for another few minutes stirring gently. Taste and add salt and vinegar if necessary, Sprinkle with the fresh mint and let rest for at least ten minutes so the flavours can come together.
Caponata keeps well for days in the fridge and tastes better the second day. It’s often served cold as a Summer side dish.
For the steak, heat a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil in a pan. The pan needs to be scorching hot before laying the steak in the pan. Cook at a high heat for about 2 minutes each side for rare or 2.5/3 min per side for medium. Rest on a plate for a couple of minutes before serving. Sprinkle with Maldon salt to taste.