This is a combination of my mother's eggplant Parmigiana and a French tian.
Serve with pita or bread for dipping.
Serve warm or at room temperature, as a side dish or an appetizer with bread or pita.
Caponata is the great room-temperature mix of eggplant and other vegetables that is sometimes called an Italian ratatouille. But it differs greatly from its French cousin in one chief way; it is a member of an ancient classification of dishes called agro dolce -- those made with sweet-and-sour flavoring. Though most Americans are familiar only with the caponata marketed by Progresso in small cans, there are many versions of the caponata in Italy. Most are from Sicily ... and my favorites of all are from Pantelleria, the great caper-growing island off the west coast of Sicily. So it's no surprise that this recipe has a healthy dose of capers in it! It's a wonderful appetizer, served with crusty bread and, perhaps, other antipasto items.
Charred on the outside, raw on the inside was my destiny. Everything changed with two discoveries by Sally: this lusciously spiced ginger-miso sauce and microwaving eggplant slices before they hit the grill. You cannot mess this up, no way, no how. (Why it never occurred to me, I’ll never know.)
Eggplant, so good on its own, is also a culinary chameleon, absorbing herbs and spices to become any number of different dishes. In Romagna, palm-sized slices are steeped in garlic, basil, parsley and olive oil before grilling over hot coals. Eaten either hot or at room temperature, this is one of those simple, but ultimately satisfying dishes that goes with almost anything and is so good eaten on its own.
Eggplant gets kind of mushed up as it cooks in the hobo pack, which actually turns out to be a good quality, particularly if it’s getting mushed up with tomatoes and garlic.