How to make the Real Sicilian Caponata – Rossella’s Cooking with Nonna
Join Rossella and Nonna Angelina Purpura from Carini (Palermo, Sicily), Italy, as they make the real caponata from a classic Sicilian recipe: Caponata. Full Recipe: http://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/sicilian-caponata.html
I find eggplant always to be very bitter and tangy, even after salting. I suspect the only cure is cooking it long enough, over an hour, then it loses that and becomes sweet.
I only know caponata from the Progresso can, which disappeared, then Cento, now Roland in a jar. This is a bit different. Every time I make it, the eggplant is still too bitter, but maybe I need to cook it a lot longer. I never tried sauteeing it first.
I’m soo glad I found this recipe Rosella my gram made gabinadina and I loved it growing up lost her recipe. I make your chick Marsala everyone loves it every time I make it !!!! Love all your recipes💗
To choose the eggplant, everything she said, and then look opposite the stem end for the blossom scar. If it is a line leave it. It will have lots of seeds. If it is a dot, that's the one you want.
I love watching your Nonna. She reminds me so much of my late mamma. Her story rang true of how she came to this country from Sicily. My daughter and I sat here and cried listening to it. Loved watching this video as this will be my 1st attempt at making caponata but you made it just like my Mamma did. Thank you for sharing your Nonna with us.
Nonna Angelina's story was very similar to my mother's the only differences are my mom was born & raised in Kalamata, Greece and immigrated with her family during the Greek Civil War in the 1950's & my father was already here; Nonna's feelings about being here & desiring to return was my mom too. She also cried being here; Thank you for sharing this because I feel like I learned the secrets of the Universe. I always wanted to learn how to make Caponata. I don't know any Greeks, who don't love caponata. Sicilian oil is quite excellent and extra virgin olive oil can be ruined nutritionally if you heat it.
I love caponata….my grandmother (she was from Marsala) would make tons of it, jar it and give it to all her kids. I make it all the time and my non-Italian friends love it. When I make it I throw everything in one pan and do not par boil anything. I start with skinning and salting the eggplant and put it aside. In a huge skillet I start by frying the onion and celery in olive oil until soft, add in the eggplant and cook for a few minutes, then add in drained green Sicilian olives, drained capers, a can of tomato paste, sugar and red wine vinegar. i cover the pan until everything is cooked. Succulent. I grew up with all of this great Sicilian food and love sharing it, like you do, with my family and friends.
if seeds are white the eggplant is fine and no need to salt and drain if they are brown chances are its bitter and will need salt to take away the bitterness i use a colander with a weight like she said works great just make sure you pat it dry before cooking
marieclaire bennici my husband and i going to buy what we need to make caponata we love it with nice piece of italian bread we have so many eggplant in our garden we live in florida and we try to make different recipe to use them thank you for the recipe you both look so sweet
Seems like this is a pretty flexible dish. Eggplant, onion, celery, capers and olives tossed with a sweet-sour red wine vinegar and sugar sauce, seem to be the required ingredients without which it wouldn’t be Caponata at all. I’ve come across recipes that don’t have tomato, or include chopped red bell pepper, or raisins and except for this one include toasted pine nuts, which are very pricey. I’m glad to see chopped toasted almonds used as a substitute.
Rossella very simple rule Dot not Slot, dot is male and the bottom of the eggplant, slot is female much more seeds! Just saying never mind the weight or the colour lol.
Just back from 15 days touring Sicily from Palermo to Trapani to Agrigento to Siracusa to Catania to Taormina! ❤ Missing Sicilia SO much – made my first Caponata and it came out Delish😂🎉
39 Comments
Rossella, you can't say it is better than the one you ate in Sicily! Come on!!😂😂😂
That's fantastic. This kind of technique is what makes this channel great. I also like to add nuts to all kinds of dishes.
I find eggplant always to be very bitter and tangy, even after salting. I suspect the only cure is cooking it long enough, over an hour, then it loses that and becomes sweet.
Canned olives have far less salt than those in a jar.
I only know caponata from the Progresso can, which disappeared, then Cento, now Roland in a jar. This is a bit different. Every time I make it, the eggplant is still too bitter, but maybe I need to cook it a lot longer. I never tried sauteeing it first.
I miss my nonna 😢
I’m soo glad I found this recipe Rosella my gram made gabinadina and I loved it growing up lost her recipe. I make your chick Marsala everyone loves it every time I make it !!!! Love all your recipes💗
My father was born in Carini!
To choose the eggplant, everything she said, and then look opposite the stem end for the blossom scar. If it is a line leave it. It will have lots of seeds. If it is a dot, that's the one you want.
I love watching your Nonna. She reminds me so much of my late mamma. Her story rang true of how she came to this country from Sicily. My daughter and I sat here and cried listening to it. Loved watching this video as this will be my 1st attempt at making caponata but you made it just like my Mamma did. Thank you for sharing your Nonna with us.
What a lovely story what a lovely lady thank you for sharing I make Pasquale caponata but I will watch your video thank you so much
I like the almonds it adds a nice touch to the dish I will try
Where's the bread
Nonna is so sweet and charming…. but the American voice and way to talk is so much the opposite
Nonno ti scurdasti la sarsina.
Balsamic vinegar is vino cotto(acidic).
Nonna Angelina's story was very similar to my mother's the only differences are my mom was born & raised in Kalamata, Greece and immigrated with her family during the Greek Civil War in the 1950's & my father was already here; Nonna's feelings about being here & desiring to return was my mom too. She also cried being here; Thank you for sharing this because I feel like I learned the secrets of the Universe. I always wanted to learn how to make Caponata. I don't know any Greeks, who don't love caponata. Sicilian oil is quite excellent and extra virgin olive oil can be ruined nutritionally if you heat it.
Genial
Gracias
I love caponata….my grandmother (she was from Marsala) would make tons of it, jar it and give it to all her kids. I make it all the time and my non-Italian friends love it. When I make it I throw everything in one pan and do not par boil anything. I start with skinning and salting the eggplant and put it aside. In a huge skillet I start by frying the onion and celery in olive oil until soft, add in the eggplant and cook for a few minutes, then add in drained green Sicilian olives, drained capers, a can of tomato paste, sugar and red wine vinegar. i cover the pan until everything is cooked. Succulent. I grew up with all of this great Sicilian food and love sharing it, like you do, with my family and friends.
Very cute nonna
if seeds are white the eggplant is fine and no need to salt and drain if they are brown chances are its bitter and will need salt to take away the bitterness i use a colander with a weight like she said works great just make sure you pat it dry before cooking
This is a great dish. Hard to find though
So cute to watch older and younger generations cooking
Why is every “real” Sicilian caponata recipe different?
Angelina!!! See her photo!!! Absolut beauty. And Sicily is the beauty of the Mediterranean. Regards from the smaller sister, MALTA!
Sweet Rossalala!!! Why don't you use a proper, professional knife instead a cheap, a "buffet in the petrol station knife"?
marieclaire bennici my husband and i going to buy what we need to make caponata we love it with nice piece of italian bread we have so many eggplant in our garden we live in florida and we try to make different recipe to use them thank you for the recipe you both look so sweet
Please, give the lady a decent 8" chef's knife instead of that little serrated tomato knife!
My Aunt used to make this for me as a special treat! She added lemon sections and lots of olives! Delicious❣️
Seems like this is a pretty flexible dish. Eggplant, onion, celery, capers and olives tossed with a sweet-sour red wine vinegar and sugar sauce, seem to be the required ingredients without which it wouldn’t be Caponata at all. I’ve come across recipes that don’t have tomato, or include chopped red bell pepper, or raisins and except for this one include toasted pine nuts, which are very pricey. I’m glad to see chopped toasted almonds used as a substitute.
I am from Cinisi and my Mom used to make it the same way and when I came in USA and I went through the same thing you did.Brava ❤
I got bored u talk too much and sound stupid
I don’t use vegetable oil. Would coconut oil and little olive oil work?
Rossella very simple rule Dot not Slot, dot is male and the bottom of the eggplant, slot is female much more seeds! Just saying never mind the weight or the colour lol.
Needs tomatoes
Just back from 15 days touring Sicily from Palermo to Trapani to Agrigento to Siracusa to Catania to Taormina! ❤ Missing Sicilia SO much – made my first Caponata and it came out Delish😂🎉
Why no garlic????
Going to try it