Italian cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Caponata di Carciofi

Sicilian sweet-and-sour artichokes with celery, green olives and capers, eaten warm or cold.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 artichokes
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 onion
• 100 g green olives
• 2 tbsp capers
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 200 g strained tomatoes
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 bunch basil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Trim the artichokes, quarter them, scrape out the choke and place the pieces immediately in cold water with the juice of one lemon.
2. Cut the celery into 1 cm pieces and blanch in boiling salted water for 3 min, then shock in cold water and drain.
3. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan and fry the drained artichoke quarters for 8–10 min over medium heat, until golden brown at the cut surfaces; remove.
4. Sauté the finely diced onion in the remaining oil for 5 min until translucent, add the strained tomatoes and simmer for 5 min, until the sauce noticeably thickens.
5. Stir in the sugar and white wine vinegar, simmer uncovered for 2 min until the sharp vinegar smell is gone, then add the artichokes, celery, olives and capers and let steep over low heat for 5 min.
6. Season with salt, pepper and the juice of the second lemon, sprinkle with torn basil and serve warm or the next day cold.