Carrot, Onion, and Eggplant Caponata
Friday, 11 March 2011

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List of viewable recipes from "Bottega" by Michael Chiarello

Recipe from Bottega by Michael Chiarello (Chronicle Books, 2010)

Nominated for a 2011 IACP Cookbook Award in the Chefs and Restaurants category. For a list of all the finalists check out the our IACP Finalists' Guide.Caponata-eggplant preserved with vinegar and a touch of sugar-is thought to be an old-style fishing-village dish that treats sailors to a few more days of veggies after the boat has sailed away from land. Serve this as a side dish for roast lamb, or spooned onto bruschetta.

Serves 6

  • 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup finely diced unpeeled eggplant
  • 1/2 cup finely diced unpeeled Yukon Gold potato
  • 1 cup finely diced peeled carrots
  • 1 cup finely diced red onion
  • Sea salt, preferably gray salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil

Heat 3 medium sauté pans or skillets over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to one pan and 2 tablespoons olive oil to each of the other two pans. Add the eggplant to the first pan with 3 tablespoons oil, the potato to another, and the carrots and onion together to the third pan. Season all the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste and sauté until each vegetable is completely soft, 5 to 7 for the eggplant, 10 to 12 minutes for the potatoes, and 12 to 15 minutes for the carrots and onions. Add the raisins, pine nuts, and orange zest to the pan with the carrots and onions and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the flavors are well infused.

Meanwhile, in a small nonreactive sauté pan or skillet, combine the vinegar and the sugar, bring to a boil, and cook to reduce until slightly syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Combine the hot vegetables in one pan, pour on the vinegar syrup, toss in the basil, taste for salt and pepper, and serve hot or at room temperature.

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 March 2011 )