Caponatina

This caponatina is cobbled together from a quick look at Antonio Carluccio's Italia: recipes and customs of the regions of Italy whilst lunching at his restaurant ... it's a kind of caponata, which for some reason he has decided to call caponatina ("little caponata"), helpfully translating as "Sicilian aubergine relish". In another of his books, Complete Italian Food, he gives a more traditional recipe entitled (more traditionally) caponata.

The agro-dolce of the caponatina is heightened by the inclusion of pears. Really good. Whatever it's called.

Caponatina

2 aubergines, cubed
8 tbsp olive oil
2 x 400g tins tomatoes
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
60g capers
3 pears, peeled cored and sliced
1/2 tsp ground cinammon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
50g sugar
50ml white wine vinegar

Put all these ingredients into a large heavy pan and simmer gently for about 3/4 hour.

The original recipe also had 100g green olives and 100g slivered almonds (which I should think you put in at the end).

The ingredients for the caponata were:

1 large onion, chopped
3-4 celery sticks
5 tbsp olive oil
1 kg aubergines (probably 3)
1 tbsp capers
20 green olives
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
55g tomato paste
salt and pepper

If this is the recipe Carluccio uses in his restaurants, it's delicious!

Anyway, I've just made it to get ahead for a lunch on Friday, when there'll be open house for my family, as my sister is arriving for a lightning visit from California YIPPPEE, and my father (80-something) no longer eats meat as he no longer likes the taste.