This eggplant gets sweet, sour thanks to vinegar, tomatoes

Traditional recipes seem to be part of a collective conscience of sorts, and eggplant caponata is no exception.

All around Italy (and the world), chefs and grandmothers and uncles are making a variation of this sweet and sour eggplant dish. And while each region and family has its own variation on method and ingredients, the same overall idea prevails.

In the simplest of terms, eggplant caponata is cooked eggplant and other ingredients in a sweet and sour sauce. Those “other ingredients” can be a number of things, but most commonly include peppers, onions, garlic, raisins, and capers.

The beauty of caponata is that it can be made in advance and served at room temperature and it’s a perfect accompaniment to meat or fish or on top of crostini.

In Italian cooking, the combination of sweet and sour flavors is known as agrodolce. It typically refers to a cooked mixture of vinegar and sugar or other sweetener, and can be served over roasted meats, on toasted panini, or as an ingredient in a composed pasta dish.

In eggplant caponata, it is the sauce that binds the other ingredients together, giving the dish its characteristic sweet and sour qualities.

In this version, the vegetables are tossed with vinegar and tomatoes, then roasted in a single layer until they are soft and caramelized. Because eggplant holds so much moisture, it is often salted and drained before cooking.

Excess moisture in an ingredient can keep it from browning, but will also make the overall dish soggy and less flavorful. Salting the eggplant will help ensure the caramelization that puts the “dolce” in agrodolce.

(AP)