Sicilian Eggplant Caponata With Grilled Swordfish
This classic Sicilian eggplant dish is perfect for late summer meals. This caponata recipe combines roasted eggplant with sautéed bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Red wine vinegar and honey are added to make it tangy and sweet. Served over grilled swordfish for the perfect Italian dinner.
Servings 6 servings
Calories
Ingredients
Caponata
- 1 large eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon fine salt divided, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 celery stalks thinly sliced
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup pitted green olives ideally Castelvetrano, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup raisins
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Grilled Swordfish
- 1 lb. swordfish
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- dried oregano to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and add the cubed eggplant.
- Sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and toss to coat
- Roast the eggplant in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway, until caramelized and golden.
- In the meantime, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery.
- Season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook until the veggies are tender about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, honey, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the roasted eggplant and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the fresh parsley, reserving a small handful for garnish. Remove the pot from the heat.
Grilled Swordfish
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat (around 400 degrees F.)
- Brush the swordfish with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and dried oregano on both sides.
- Grill the swordfish for 6 minutes on each side. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish and top with caponata.
Notes
You can adjust the tangy-sweet-spicy balance that works best for your palette. If desired, you can add more vinegar (by the teaspoon), honey (by the teaspoon), red pepper flakes and/or salt and pepper.