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Caponata shot glasses with tuna and tzatziki

17/11/2023

Caponata shot glasses with tuna and tzatziki are a fresh and tasty appetizer, ideal for an aperitif or as a starter in a summer lunch. This is a dish that expertly combines Mediterranean flavors with a touch of Greek cuisine. Here’s how you can prepare them.

Ingredients

For the caponata:

  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1 onion
  • 2 ripe tomatoes
  • 50 g pitted green olives
  • 30 g salted capers
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh basil

For the tuna:

  • 200 g of high-quality canned tuna
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the tzatziki:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 150 g of Greek yogurt
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Chopped fresh dill

Preparation

  1. Start with the caponata: wash and chop the eggplants into cubes, salt them and leave them to drain in a colander for about an hour to remove the bitterness.
  2. Meanwhile, clean and slice the celery thinly and blanch it in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  3. In a large pan, sauté the chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil until transparent.
  4. Add the well-drained and dried eggplants and cook until golden brown.
  5. Add the peeled and diced tomatoes, olives, desalted capers, and celery. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add vinegar and sugar and let cook on low heat for about 15 minutes.
  7. Let the caponata cool and then add hand-torn basil leaves.

For the tuna:

  1. Drain the tuna from the oil and season it with a pinch of salt and pepper, if necessary.

For the tzatziki:

  1. Grate the cucumber and squeeze it to remove excess water.
  2. Mix the yogurt with the grated cucumber, finely chopped garlic, dill, lemon juice, a drizzle of oil, and salt until you obtain a creamy sauce.

Assembly of the shot glasses:

  1. Take some finger food glasses and fill the bottom with a layer of caponata.
  2. Add a layer of canned tuna on top.
  3. Finish with a spoonful of tzatziki.
  4. Decorate with a sprig of dill or a basil leaf and serve.

Curiosity

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian recipe that can vary in its ingredients and dressing. The original version does not include tuna, but in this combination, the addition creates a pleasant contrast of flavors. When preparing the tzatziki, it’s important to squeeze the cucumber thoroughly so the sauce does not become watery, maintaining a denser consistency for a better effect in the shot glasses.

Caponata shot glasses with tuna and tzatziki