Caponata with buffalo mozzarella

Top the beloved sweet-and-sour vegetable dish caponata with creamy buffalo mozzarella in this delicious late-summer recipe from Amber Guinness.

Amber says: “This recipe unites two great culinary traditions by pairing buffalo mozzarella (made in Campania, near Naples) with caponata, an emblematic dish of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. Caponata reflects influences from Sicily’s cultural past – sweet and sour from the Arabs, tomatoes from the Spanish. It pairs beautifully with the milky tang of the mozzarella.”

A cook, author and journalist, Amber was born in London but raised in Tuscany, where she co-founded the Arniano Painting School in what was her family home. This recipe taken from is taken from her second cookbook, Coastal Italian (Thames & Hudson £29.99), and has been tested by delicious.

Discover more recipes from Sicily with our full guide to the region’s food.

  • Serves 6
  • Hands-on time 40 min. Oven time 20 min, simmering time 25-30 min, plus cooling

Nutrition

Calories
542kcals
Fat
38g (9.9g saturated)
Protein
19g
Carbohydrates
27g (10g sugars)
Fibre
5.9g
Salt
1.4g

delicious. tips

  1. Amber’s tips: “Here the aubergine is roasted to make the dish a little lighter than usual, but fry it for 5 minutes in a generous splash of oil if you prefer.”

    “I usually use the large salted capers from Salina, soaked in water for 2 hours, although you could use capers in brine, which don’t need any soaking.”

    If you’re using salted capers, soak them for 2 hours in water, changing the water three times. If they’re in brine they’re ready to use right away.

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