Caponata of Christmas

Caponata di Natale

A caponata Sicilian without eggplant, with celery, olives, capers, raisins and sweet and sour almonds.

4 servings

Easy

Sicily

EasySicily

There Caponata Christmas is a cold Sicilian dish, designed to bring a clear balance of flavor, sweetness, and acidity to the table. Celery, the star of the recipe, retains a distinctive texture and is enhanced by the contrast between green olives and capers, the softness of theraisins and the crunchy note of toasted almonds. Wine vinegar and sugar form an essential sweet and sour condiment, which must blend with the ingredients without overpowering their aromas. The technique requires particular attention to cooking the celery: it must be tender, but not mushy, to withstand the subsequent browning. The cold finish with the almonds maintains their distinctive crunchiness, while resting before serving allows the flavors to harmonize. The version shown here is characterized by the use ofraisins, distinctive element of the whole.

Instructions

Voice reading

9 steps · natural Italian voice

Clean and cut the celery

Thoroughly clean the celery heads, removing any tough parts, but also retaining all the leaves. Cut the stalks and leaves into even pieces, so they cook evenly and the celery is easy to scoop onto the plate.

Boil it al dente

Bring to a boil Add plenty of water and boil the celery, without overcooking it. Drain it when it's tender but still firm, avoiding letting it become mushy: it should retain its structure during the next browning.

Desalt the capers

Rinse the capers and soak them in a little hot water to remove excess salt. Wait for the water to absorb the flavor, then drain them well. This allows them to blend into the sauce without making the dish overly salty.

Brown the celery

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet In a large saucepan, sauté the well-drained celery. Stir until the pieces are flavorful and lightly browned, but don't overdry them: the base should remain moist and ready to receive the other ingredients.

Combine olives and capers

Add the pitted green olives and the desalted capers to the celery. Stir thoroughly and continue cooking, allowing the heat to distribute the flavors. The mixture It will be ready for the next stage when the olives and capers are well blended and fragrant.

Add theraisins

Bring it back to liferaisins in water, then drain it and add it to the skillet. Stir and let it cook further, allowing theraisins to soften and distribute its sweet note between the celery, olives and capers.

Prepare the sweet and sour sauce

Dissolve the sugar in the wine vinegar, stirring until you get a uniform solution. Pour the mixture in the skillet and let the vinegar evaporate over medium heatWait until the pungent aroma subsides and the seasoning coats the ingredients without leaving any excess liquid.

Complete with almonds

Turn off the heat and add half of the toasted and chopped almonds, while still cold. Stir gently to distribute them throughout the mixture and maintain their consistency. Set aside the remaining half, which will be used to garnish the serving dish.

Cool and serve

Transfer the caponata on the serving dish and let it cool completely. Before serving, garnish with the remaining almonds. Serve it cold, when the sweet and sour profile, the softness of theraisins and the crunchiness of the almonds are well balanced.

Chef's Tips

The editorial staff recommends not over-softening the celery while boiling: drain it when it is tender but still firm, so it maintains its structure during browning and in the sweet and sour sauce.