Caponata...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of catering a baby shower for a friend. The menu was all cold foods as to make it easy for the hostess and one of the choices was an antipasto platter. Though I love a platter full of meat and cheese, I also like to make sure I add assorted vegetable options to my antipasto platter. For the baby shower I added roasted beets, marinated artichoke hearts and as the heart of the platter, Caponata.

Caponata is a saute of eggplant, peppers and onions and has that perfect balance between sweet and sour. The first time I made Caponata was when I worked as a line cook at Via Matta. Luis Morales, my chef, taught us the secret to a good Caponata and the secret, though slightly time consuming, is worth it. What set his recipe apart from others, was the way he cooked the eggplant. We cut the eggplant into cubes, brought a saute pan to a high temp and then put a drop of oil in the pan. When the oil began to smoke, in small batches we would cook the eggplant. He told us "when it begins to smell like popcorn, the eggplant is done". Now when I cook this dish, I think of Luis and making Caponata. I tweaked the recipe a little, by not adding anchovies or garlic and I use balsamic instead of red wine vinegar. Here is my recipe for Caponata..

1 eggplant, washed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus approximately 2 more tablespoons to cook eggplant
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 red bell pepper, washed, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium size red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon each of chopped fresh basil and flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper

Heat a saute pan, until very hot. Drop a pea size amount of oil in pan and spread out. When the oil is hot, begin to saute eggplant in batches. Let eggplant cook and char on all sides and again like Luis said, it will almost smell like popcorn when it is one. Continue to cook eggplant in batches until all is cooked, then set aside. In another saute pan, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil, add the red pepper flake, then the onion and pepper. Salt and pepper the vegetables and cook for about ten minutes. Add the eggplant and continue cooking for ten more minutes. Add the capers, honey and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the vinegar is absorbed and the vegetables are tender. Add the herbs at the end and fold in. Serve as a side, on bread, tossed with pasta or on its own. Enjoy!

Thanks Lori for a fun day of catering and thanks to Luis Morales for an inspired recipe!