Red wine vinegar, which can be used to make caponata sauce.
Caponata is a dish of chopped vegetables that can also contain certain types of meat or seafood. It is popular throughout Italy, although it is believed to have originated in Sicily. There are many variations, most of which contain eggplant as the main ingredient. The various ingredients are usually cooked in a rich tomato sauce seasoned with vinegar and herbs. The dish can be served cold or at room temperature as an appetizer or with vegetables; It can also be served hot as a main dish.
The caponata is covered with hard-boiled eggs.
Other than eggplant, the most common ingredients are garlic, onion, and celery. Courgettes, peppers and potatoes can also be added. Many recipes call for capers and olives, and other variations include currants and pine nuts. American chef Mario Batali’s recipe includes pine nuts, currants and mint along with the basic ingredients, and he seasons the tomato sauce with cinnamon and cocoa powder.
Caponata is usually seasoned with herbs, including oregano.
Tomato sauce can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes. The sauce usually includes oil and vinegar. You can use balsamic or red vinegar. The sauce is usually seasoned with garlic and fresh or dried herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme.
The island of Sicily and the Italian provinces of Palermo and Genoa have variations that include shellfish as an ingredient. Sicilian seafood caponata can include lobster and swordfish. In Palermo, octopus can be added to the mix, and the Genoa version includes scorpion fish. In Naples, a dish called Caponata Estiva may include anchovies, sardines, or smoked herring.
In Palermo you can add octopus to the caponata.
The caponata can also be served in layers. The base for the layers is either a crisp cookie called a gallette or a twice-baked slice of sweet bread called a sponge cake. The bread is soaked in olive oil and topped with layers of sliced vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and various types of seafood.
The dish is commonly associated with sailors as it is often served aboard fishing boats. On fast days in Italy, which is largely Catholic, you can eat caponata instead of a meat dish. Caponata is also a popular food on Christmas Eve.
In Italy, variations of the dish are called Caponata Napolitana, Caponata di Pesce, or Cianfotta. There are also similar dishes in many Mediterranean cuisines. This includes the French ratatouille, the Greek moussaka, and the Spanish samfina. In Spain, caponata also refers to a character named La Gallina Caponata, or Caponata the Chicken, in the Spanish version of the children’s show Barrio Sésamo.