Open Faced Caponata Sandwich on Ciabatta Bread with Mozzarella

So, we do a bit of cooking on the weekends. The first time we had caponata, we were in London looking for somewhere to eat. We dove into this little Italian place in sort of a back alley and ordered a starter of a few Italian antipasti type things - some cured meats, olives and this caponata. It's essentially a relish made from eggplant, capers, vinegar, etc. It has a bit of tartness and sweetness, and WOW is it good. We've tried three different recipes at home since then, and this one is the latest. We served it on a piece of ciabatta bread and topped it with FRESH buffalo mozzarella. Don't even bother with the crap that comes pre-shredded in a bag. Get the buffalo mozzarella that is soaking in a liquid, waiting for you to shred it by pulling it apart. Get yourself a really good bottle of extra-virgin olive oil, too. We only recently found out how much of a difference a really well produced olive oil can make simply by drizzling it over to finish a dish. Anyway, hope you enjoy.


2 eggplant
75 ml olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
2 celery, stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
400 g tomatoes, chopped and canned, 1/2 can, with juice
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
40 g olives, pitted and chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 ciabatta bread, slices
70 g mozzarella, fresh buffalo style, pulled into shreds

Cut the eggplant into cubes, place in a colander with a few teaspoons of salt and toss together well. Leave in the sink to drain for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Pat the eggplant dry to remove the moisture and salt. Heat half of the oil in a large, wide based pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and fry off until tender but still holding together. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook for 10 minutes or so, gently, until soft and lightly browned. Add the celery and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the vinegar and leave it to bubble away until it has almost disappeared. Add the tomatoes, sugar, a good pinch of salt and 10 turns of a pepper mill. Cover and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the celery is tender but still has a bit of crunch. Uncover and add the capers, olives and eggplant. Stir through and check the seasoning. When it is all warmed through and seasoned properly, take off the heat.

Arrange four slices of ciabatta bread on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil and place under the broiler for a few minutes, but don't allow them to start browning. Pull the bread out, top with a generous amount of caponata and top with some shreds of the mozzarella. Put back under the broiler until the cheese melts and just starts to get some brown on it. Pull out of the oven and put on a plate. Drizzle with good olive oil and serve hot.