Best Maggie Beers Caponata Recipes

MAGGIE BEER'S CAPONATA

Steps:

• Sauté the onion and celery in a frying pan with a splash of olive oil until the onion colours a little and the celery retains a crunchy firmness.
• Add the sugar and mix well to combine, deglaze with the vinegar and continue to cook until a little syrupy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add a good splash of extra virgin olive oil (evoo) to the pan, and fry off the eggplant (you may need to do this in batches if your pan isn't big enough) adding a little more oil if needed and a little salt.
• When the eggplant is almost cooked all the way through with a rich golden colour, add the diced tomatoes. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the tomato has softened a little.
• Add the onion and celery mixture along with all the liquid back into the pan with the eggplant. Mix well and then add the olives, capers, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• While the mixture is still warm, add the chocolate so that it melts and stir in gently. Then add the basil and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Serve!

MAGGIE BEER'S CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Mix the dried fruit and orange zest together in a glass or china bowl.
• Pour the brandy over and mix again.
• Cover the bowl and leave for at least 24 hours, turning mixture occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 140 degrees C.
• Grease and line a 24cm round cake tin with several layers of paper.
• Paper should extend 10cm above the rim of the tin.
• Sift flour, spices and salt.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
• Beat eggs in a separate bowl then mix very gradually into the creamed mixture.
• Gently fold in the spiced flour, then fold in the dried fruit mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Decorate the top with blanched almonds.
• Bake for about 3 hours.
• A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is cooked.
• A baking dish full of water placed on the oven shelf below the cake during cooking will help keep the cake moist.
• Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes before transfering to a wire rack.
• To store, wrap the cake in several layers of greaseproof paper, then wrap in foil and store in an air-tight tin.

MAMMA'S CAPONATA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute eggplant in 1/4 cup oil until tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion and celery in remaining oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes and eggplant. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes., Add the olives, vinegar, sugar, capers, salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until thickened. Serve warm or at room temperature with baguettes.