Caponata

 Caponata

Ingredients:

= 1 medium aubergine, weighing about 225 gr
= 1/2 level teaspoon salt
= 2 sticks celery, trimmed
= 1 tablespoon olive oil
= 1 small onion, peeled and choppes
= 1 level tablespoon tomato pure
= 2 rounded teaspoons capers, drained
= 25 gr pitted green olives, drained
= 1 dessertspoon red wine vinegar
= pinch custer sugar
= 1 plum tomato
= 1 rounded dessertspoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
= salt and freshly ground black pepper

Methods :

1. Cut the aubergine into 2.5 cm dice, place in colander over a bowl, sprinkle with the salt and allow to drain for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, put a small pan of water on to boil. Cut the celery into 2cm diagonal slices and, when the water has come to the boil, blanch the celery for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Then drain in a colander, refresh in cold water and drain again.

3. Rinse the diced aubergine and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat half the olive oil in a medium-sized, non stick frying pan, add the aubergine and fry for about 10 minutes, over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown and softened. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.

4. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and fry the onion over a low heat until soft and golden-abot 7 minutes. When the onion is cooked, add the blanched celery and cook for a further 4 mintes. Next, mix the tomato puree with a tablespoon of hot water and add this to the onion and celery mixture, along with the capers, olives, red wine vinegar and sugar, and cook for 4 minutes. Return the diced aubergine to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Seosonwell, cool, transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate overnight.

5. Prepare the plum tomato by putting it in a small bowl, pour over sufficient boiling water to cover it, the pour off the water and quickly fill the bowl with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain, remove the tomato, peel and discard the skin, quarter the flesh, then scoop the seeds out and discard. Cut the flesh into 5mm dice and put in a lidded container in the fridge. 

The next day, stir the chopped tomato and parsley into the caponata.