Caponata

• Cut the eggplants into cubes and leave them for an hour on a tray, covered with coarse salt.
• Heat the oil in a pan and fry them well, then drain over a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
• Dice the celery and boil it for 4 minutes to make it more tender.
• In a separate pan, in a bit of olive oil, sauté the olives (without pits) together with the capers and celery.
• Add the tomato sauce, vinegar and sugar.
• Then add the fried eggplants and let it absorb the flavours for a few minutes over a very low flame.
• Give the pan a shake from time to time so that nothing sticks to the bottom.
• Heat the oven and toast the almonds for about 5 minutes. Check salt and add more if needed.
• Serve the caponata cold, covered with the slivered almonds. It’s also delicious at room temperature and it’s even better the next day.

Wine pairing: Grillo