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Millefoglie di caponata

17/11/2023

The millefoglie of caponata is a dish that combines the tradition of Sicilian caponata with the elegant presentation of millefoglie. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

For the caponata:

  • 2 medium-sized eggplants
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 red onion from Tropea
  • 100 g of pitted green olives
  • 2 tablespoons of salted capers
  • 100 ml of tomato purée
  • 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the millefoglie:

  • Ready-made puff pastry or shortcrust pastry
  • Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for garnish (optional)

Preparation

  1. Start with the caponata: wash and cut the eggplants into cubes, then salt them for an hour to remove bitterness. Afterwards, rinse and dry them.
  2. In a large pan, sauté the chopped onion with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the eggplants and sauté until golden brown.
  3. Cut the celery into small pieces and blanch for a few minutes in salted water, then add to the eggplants.
  4. Add the chopped olives, desalted capers, and tomato purée. Mix well and cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat, until the sauce has thickened.
  5. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the sugar and pour it into the pan. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper and let cool.
  6. While the caponata is cooling, prepare the pastry: roll out the dough and cut rectangles or squares according to the desired shape for the millefoglie.
  7. Place the pastry pieces on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and prick the surface with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during cooking. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds.
  8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool once ready.
  9. To assemble the millefoglie, place a rectangle of pastry as the base, add a layer of cooled caponata, and top with another rectangle of pastry. Repeat if you wish to make more layers.
  10. Serve immediately to maintain the pastry’s crispness.

Curiosity

The caponata is a rich and flavorful side dish that originates from the Sicilian culinary tradition as a humble dish, made with seasonal vegetables. Interestingly, the name “caponata” may derive from the term “caupona”, which in Latin indicated the taverns where this type of dish was served. In the case of the millefoglie, a touch of refinement is added to the rusticity of the caponata.