As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Sicily and their regional cuisine. My wife and I had many servings of caponata as we traveled the island, and though spectacularly varied in flavor, they were chiefly the same ingredients, eggplant, capers, celery (which Lisa removed from her portions), tomatoes, etc. But in the town of Rosolini I had something entirely different, a caponata made of fruit, served alongside a grilled veal ribeye.

Here is my take, summer fruits stewed with wine vinegar, honey, and olive oil. It’s a supremely versatile condiment, bright and freshly acidic, with a deep but forgiving sweetness. August is nearing the end of king salmon season, and I made a lovely meal of caponata served with a simply seared fillet, plus fluffy basmati rice with toasted almonds. A sprinkle of Izak N37 ties all the flavors together perfectly.

Fruit Caponata

Author
Christian Leue
Servings
Serves 4
Category
Dinner

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole red cherries, stems removed if you like (you can also leave them on as a reminder not to eat the pits)
  • 2 firm nectarines, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 1 Vidalia onion, peeled, 1-inch dice
  • 2 cups mixed whole grapes
  • 2-3 Tbsp wine vinegar (either white or red is fine, amount will depend on acidity, some wine vinegars are above the standard 5%)
  • 1 Tbsp olive or pistachio oil
  • Sweetener, to taste (I prefer chestnut honey)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed well and soaked in water for 15 minutes, then drained
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 4 – 4oz fillets of salmon
  • Salt
  • Oil for frying
  • Izak N37 for seasoning – try using this blend to season your other favorite foods as well, it’s a pleasant surprise to step beyond salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except salt and sweetener in a sauce pot with a lid and cook, covered, over medium heat until everything has softened, about 25 minutes. Adjust to taste with salt and sweetener of your choice, and additional vinegar, if desired. Leaving the fruit whole or in large chunks keeps it from getting mushy, and you’ll get a lovely red color from the cherry skins. Depending on the season you can also try adding/substituting: strawberries, small plums, quince, figs, apple, or pear.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottom sauce pot with a lid, mix well and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 25 minutes, then allow to rest off of the heat for 10 minutes before gently fluffing the rice.
  3. Pat the fillets dry and season with salt while you heat a few tablespoons of oil in a seasoned or otherwise non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sear the fillets, starting with the meat side, cooking for about 4 minutes. Gently flip, and cook until the skin is crisp and fillets are cooked to your liking (about 4 minutes more for just cooked in the center for a 4 oz. fillet).
  4. Plate the rice, caponata, and salmon and top with a generous sprinkling of Izak N37.

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