Caponata in the old ways

The caponata is one of typical dishes of the Sicilian culinary tradition. However there are different versions of this very delicious dish.

Today, Filippino reveals us the original recipe of the Caponata in the old ways.

Ingredients (4 servings)

400 g Sicilian white aubergines
200 g pitted whites olives brine
80 g desalted capers
200 g bunches of celery cut into pieces
125 g onions coarsely cut
200 g mature tomatoes cut to pieces
50 cl little glass of vinegar
40 g granulated sugar
8 basil leaves coarsely cut
50 g pine nuts
50 cl olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Scald the bunches of celery for 5 minutes in salt water and then brown them with oil and leave them aside. Wash the aubergines, dice them and put them in a big colander, salt them and let them drop in order to give the originally bitter flavour.
Cut the onion and brown it with olive oil and the tomatoes, the capers, the olives, the basil and the pine nuts. Cook everything until the complete cooking of the tomato (about 30 minutes).
Fry the aubergines and add them to the sauce (cooked before) and the celery. Let cook on a low heat, add vinegar and sugar, then let complete the cooking for other 5 minutes.