Caponata di Melanzane Sicilian Style

This recipe may not exactly resemble the caponata we see today in restaurants. This is an authentic Sicilian recipe. According to tradition the secret is to cook all ingredients separately to allow them to retain their individual tastes.

This recipe is one from the 2nd cruise with chef Thomas and well lets just say it's not what we have experienced in Italy last year, a bit too crass in taste for us as we are not fans of commercial tomato paste....but if you can get home made original tomato paste it much better. They actually make the paste using the skins of tomatoes which are discarded in other recipes, they cook them and intensify the flavour and blitz...

3 large eggplants
1 1/2. Cups olive oil
1 head of celery, remove outer stalks and finley slice
1 large sliced onion
1/3 cup tomato paste, diluted with 2 tabs water
1-2 tabs capers
1 chopped anchovy
1 1/2 tea sugar
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped deseeded green olives
1/4 cup golden raisins
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop eggplants to 12 mm dice, sprinkle with salt and let it drain 1-3 hrs, dry well and set aside.
Heat oil in large deep pan, fry eggplant till brown. Drain on appear towel. In a separate pan boil celery in water for 3 mins.
Cook onion in oil from eggplants just until it starts to colour, stir in tomato paste and cook10 mins, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze pan with vinegar. Add in capers, anchovy, sugar and olives, stir to combine and add celery, eggplant and raisins.
Season to taste cook for 10 mins.
Good for pasta sauce or side vegetable dish.

Sandy and I both agree that the above recipe well we have enjoyed a more simple version at a Osteria called Zucca  just around the corner from our apartment in Venice.
So now we are looking for that recipe as we think it is fresher and without the commercial tomato paste bla bla bla taste....