Published in the TML Magazine Issue 14, 2021
A MEDITERRANEAN CLASSIC – CAPONATA
By Katryna Mangion
@ta_rin_malta
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 kg aubergines, peeled & diced
- 0.5 kg green peppers, roughly chopped
- 0.5 kg tomatoes, diced (salt them and leave to stand for around 5 mins before adding)
- 2 tablespoons kunserva
- 2 stalks of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 jar whole tomatoes (rinsed out with half a jar of water)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Home brined olives (amount according to preference)
- Handful of fresh basil
Instructions
- I start this off with a classic fry of onions and garlic, adding the peeled and diced aubergines.
- I find that charring the aubergine slightly adds more flavour and allows it to cook more evenly.
- Proceed to add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, in Malta we call this, kunserva.
- The roughly chopped green peppers and tomatoes are added, along with jarred whole tomatoes, a sprinkling of sugar and chopped rosemary.
- Before covering, add a few handfuls of juicy home brined olives.
- Now leave to simmer for 1-2 hours (the longer the better). You know it’s done once all your ingredients have blended well as a sauce and the smell is good enough to make you drop.
- Top with fresh basil before serving – could be served warm or cold.
Enjoy with other starters or on their own!
The Three Hours That Used to Belong to Everyone
The Mediterranean afternoon, and what we lost when we stopped stopping.
