October 19, 2024

How to Make Noto Caponata

Matt Bird

Vincenzo and his first lady Roberta have run Sabbinirica Delhi in downtown Noto for years, and it is the best place for Sicilian panini. This summer, they have opened Sabbinirica Bistro, serving hot plates and a stunning range of natural and biodynamic wines.

One of my favourite Sicilian dishes is Caponata. I was lunching one day at Sabbinirica Deli and chatting to Roberta about their wonderful Caponata. She pointed out that some people make it sharp/salty, and others make it slightly sweet. To demonstrate the point, she popped over to Vincenzo’s mother’s restaurant to get a different style of caponata so I could compare the differences!

Since then, I have become fascinated by Caponata's different ingredients and styles!

Caponata Kitchen

During a recent Noto trip, I was invited to join the Sabbinirica Chef Ciccio and his team to learn how to make Caponata in their kitchen.

Chopping the Caponata

Chef Ciccio invited me to scrub up and don an apron, ready for work. I immediately set to work. There were onions to slice, carrots, peppers, aubergines to cube, celery to chop, and olives to half.

Frying the Caponata

A large frying pan for the onions was left to simmer. Then, another pan was used for the carrots and peppers. Another pan was used for the aubergines, which were cooked until they took on colour. Yet another pan was used for the celery and olives.

Sauting the Caponata

Now, it was time to practice my saute skills—saute derives from the French verb for jumping and is the practice of frying while tossing the ingredients. Chef Ciccio made it look so easy, but it wasn't! The trick is that it’s all in the wrist. You push the pan and its contents forward and then flick backwards with your wrist before the contents land on the stove. I am pleased to report that most of my ingredients remained in the pan!

When each of the vegetables was almost cooked, I was instructed to mix them, then add a big glug of balsamic vinegar, a spoon of capers and a pinch of salt. The final and unusual ingredient was a couple of teaspoons of honey.

Tasting the Caponata

Then, the moment came to taste my very own Caponata—it was the best I had ever tasted!

Sabbinirica Caponata Recipe

Ingredients:

100g Carrots
100g peppers
100g Aubergine
100g White onions
100g Green Olives
50g Capers
2 Tablespoons of honey
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste

Method:

Pour olive oil into a large frying pan.
Cut the carrots & onions into small pieces and add first.
Cut the aubergines, peppers, and celery, then cook all the ingredients through.
When the vegetables are cooked, add the olives, capers, vinegar and honey.
Cook through for a further few minutes.
When ready, allow the caponata to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

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