Grilled Caponata
This caponata is delicious on its own, spooned over simply grilled fish or chicken, tossed with pasta, or served with slices of hearty bread for dipping. Adding Emeril’s Kicked-Up Tomato Sauce really kicks this dish up a notch!
Ingredients
- 2 large globe eggplants (about 2 pounds total), ends trimmed, sliced into 3/4-inch thick rounds
- Salt
- 3 large red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced into 3/4-inch-thick rounds
- 3/4 cup minced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup drained nonpareil capers
- 1/2 cup finely slivered fresh basil
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup of Homestyle Marinara. Alternatively you could use 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions
Preheat a grill to medium-high.
Place the eggplant slices on a wire rack and sprinkle them lightly with salt on both sides. Set the rack aside until the eggplant begins to "sweat," usually 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, coat the bell peppers with some of the olive oil and grill them, turning them periodically, until their skin is blistered and blackened, 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the grill, place them in a bowl, and cover it tightly with plastic wrap,. Set the bowl aside.
Secure the onion by sticking a couple of toothpicks on each side. This will keep them from separating and falling through the grates while you are cooking. Coat the onions with some of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill them for about 5 minutes on each side, until nicely marked. Transfer them to a platter.
Lightly dry the eggplant slices with paper towels, and brush each side generously with the remaining olive oil. Grill the eggplant for 4 minutes on each side, until nicely marked, and add it to the platter with the onions.
Add the celery, garlic, vinegar, sugar, crushed red pepper to a large bowl and mix to combine.
Cut the grilled onions and eggplant into 3/4-inch dice and add them to the bowl. Peel and seed the grilled bell peppers, cut them into 3/4 inch pieces and add them to the bowl.
Add the olives, capers, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, and Emeril’s Kicked-Up Tomato Sauce and stir well to combine. Season the caponata with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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