A version from Rachel Roddy
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil or whatever oil you prefer to fry in
- 1 kg aubergines cut into 1-2cm cubes
- 4 celery stalks
- 75 g capers ideally packed in salt
- 150 g olives I like black Gaeta olives
- 1 large red onion thickly sliced
- 200 ml tomato sauce or passata
- 75 g raisins optional
- 50 g pine nuts optional
- 50 g sugar
- 50-75 ml red wine vinegar
- 1 small handful fresh basil leaves optional
Servings:
Instructions
- Heat 5cm of oil in a small, deep, heavy-based frying pan until hot. Fry the diced aubergine in batches – do not crowd the pan – until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt and set aside. The oil can be strained and used to fry again.
- Trim the celery stalks of any tough ends or strings and cut in half. Add the celery to a pan of boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes until tender, but still with bite. Drain. Once cool enough to handle, chop the celery into 1cm chunks and set aside. If the capers are salted, soak them for 2 minutes, then drain. If brined or in vinegar, drain and rinse. Pit the olives.
- In a large, deep frying pan, warm 4 tbsp oil over a medium-low heat, add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook for another 2 minutes, then stir in the capers, olives, raisins and pine nuts.
- Make a well in the middle of the pan and add the sugar and vinegar to it, allowing the sugar to dissolve in the heat. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, tasting to see if it needs more sugar or vinegar. Turn off the heat, add the aubergines and the celery and rip the basil into the pan.
- Stir gently, so the aubergine remains in distinct pieces. Leave to sit for at least 2 hours, or better still several, stirring gently once or twice.
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