Caponata (
Sicilian: ''capunata'') is a
Sicilian dish consisting of chopped fried
eggplant/aubergine and other vegetables, seasoned with olive oil, tomato sauce, celery, olives, and capers, in an
agrodolce sauce.
Variants may add carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, pine nuts, and raisins.
A
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
version adds
octopus
An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...
, and an aristocratic recipe includes lobster and
swordfish
The swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as the broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are the sole member of the Family (biology), family Xiphiidae. They ...
garnished with wild asparagus, grated dried
tuna roe and shrimp. These are exceptions to the general rule of a sweet and sour cooked vegetable stew or salad.
Today, caponata is typically used as a side dish for fish dishes and sometimes as an appetizer, but since the 18th century it has also been used as a main course.
Caponata is historically associated with Sicily's Jewish community, and is sometimes still referred to as ''caponata alla giudia''.
A similar
Neapolitan dish is called "''
cianfotta''". The dish is also popular in
Tunisian cuisine
Tunisian cuisine, the cuisine of Tunisia, consists of the cooking traditions, ingredients, recipes and techniques developed in Tunisia since antiquity. It is mainly a blend of Arab cuisine, Arab, Mediterranean cuisine, Mediterranean, Punic peop ...
.
Etymology
The etymology of the name is not reliably known. Some suggest it derives from the
Catalan language
Catalan () is a Western Romance languages, Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic I ...
, others that it comes from the ''caupone'', the sailors' taverns.
The dishes described by Wright would suggest that in the past the Sicilian dish was similar to the
Genoese ''capponata''.
See also
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List of Sicilian dishes
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List of stews
This is a list of notable stews. A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, bea ...
*
List of eggplant dishes
This is a list of dishes featuring eggplant as the main or an essential ingredient. Eggplant, also known as aubergine, is used in the cuisine of many countries. It is often stewed, as in the French ''ratatouille'', or deep fried as in the Italian ...
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Eggplant salads and appetizers
Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.
Varieties
Middle East, Caucasus, Africa
'' Baba ghanoush'' ( ''bābā ghanūj'') is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Frequently the ...
*
Ratatouille
Ratatouille ( , ; ) is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables that originated in Nice and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include tomato, garlic ...
*
Ajapsandali
Ajapsandali ( ka, აჯაფსანდალი IPA, ka, ad͡ʒapʰsandis a traditional Georgian and dish, also popular in the Northern Caucasus.
It consists of onion, eggplant, tomato and bell pepper grilled, stewed, or fried in vegetabl ...
References
External links
The traditional Sicilian eggplant caponata recipe
{{Eggplant dishes
Palermitan cuisine
Cuisine of Sicily
Tunisian cuisine
Eggplant dishes
Olive dishes