Eggplant Caponata with Swordfish

A twist on classic Sicilian eggplant caponata with it's distinctive sweet and sour flavors (agrodolce), this variation adds swordfish to create a satisfying dish that can be enjoyed as antipasto, side or main dish.

What is Sicilian caponata?

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian eggplant dish made with onions, celery and tomatoes. It is known for it's quintessential sweet and sour flavors (agrodolce) with sugar and vinegar stirred in at the end of cooking.

This sweet and sour flavor is common in Sicilian cooking and you'll find it in several other dishes such as fish with mint; squash; rabbit; meatballs and chicken.

Swordfish caponata, or caponata di pesce spada, is a delicious variation of the classic recipe.

Why we love this recipe!

• This versatile dish can be served as Italian antipasto or side dish, but is filling enough to enjoy as a main dish. Don't skip the fresh Italian bread!

• The best thing about swordfish and eggplant caponata is that it is best enjoyed after letting it sit for a few hours in order to allow the sweet and sour flavors to mingle. Therefore it is best enjoyed at room temperature or even better, cold the following day.

Ingredient List

• Eggplant: any variety will do. You may peel your eggplant or not. I chose not to.
• Tomatoes: I used cherry tomatoes from my garden for their sweet flavor. You may also use regular large tomatoes or in a pinch, canned diced tomatoes.
• Capers: I used brine-cured capers
• Olives: (not shown) Traditionally, green olives are used but since I had these black olives that I purchased in Sicily and therefore I decided to use these instead.

Substitutions and Variations

• The eggplant for caponata is traditionally pan fried in plenty of olive oil. Purists may disagree with me but I choose to oven roast mine instead!
• Raisins and pine nuts (about 1 tbsp. of each) may be added at the same time as the olives and capers.
• Traditionally, pitted and sliced Sicilian green olives are used but I chose to use whole black olives that I brought back from Sicily.
• If you don't have fresh tomatoes available, replace with canned diced tomatoes.

The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.

How to Make Eggplant Caponata with Swordfish

1. Prepare the eggplant: The eggplant is traditionally pan fried but I prefer to oven roast mine until soft and golden. You may stick to the traditional method if you prefer.

2. Prepare the swordfish: Rinse the swordfish and dry well. Trim off the skin and cut into small cubes. Sauté in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook!

3. At this point I wipe down the skillet and sauté the remaining ingredients, seasoning with salt at each step. Begin with the onion and celery, until softened.

4. Next, stir in the halved tomatoes.

5. After they have cooked down for a few minutes stir in the capers, olives, sugar and vinegar.

6. Stir in the roasted eggplant.

7. Lastly, stir in the swordfish. Remove from heat and add fresh basil and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
8. Let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving in order to allow the flavors to mingle.

Recipe FAQs

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