Servings: 6
Cooking Time: 16 Minutes
Ingredients :
4 cups (one 1-pound eggplant) Purple Italian eggplant(s), stemmed and diced (no need to peel)
Olive oil spray
1½ cups Celery, thinly sliced
16 (about ½ pound) Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon Drained and rinsed capers, chopped
Up to 1 tablespoon Minced fresh rosemary leaves
1½ tablespoons Red wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons Granulated white sugar
¾ teaspoon Table salt
¾ teaspoon Ground black pepper
Directions :
1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F .
2. Put the eggplant pieces in a bowl and generously coat them with olive oil spray. Toss and stir, spray again, and toss some more, until the pieces are glistening.
3. When the machine is at temperature, pour the eggplant pieces into the basket and spread them out into an even layer. Air-fry for 8 minutes, tossing and rearranging the pieces twice.
4. Meanwhile, put the celery and tomatoes in the same bowl the eggplant pieces had been in. Generously coat them with olive oil spray; then toss well, spray again, and toss some more, until the vegetables are well coated.
5. When the eggplant has cooked for 8 minutes, pour the celery and tomatoes on top in the basket. Air-fry undisturbed for 8 minutes more, until the tomatoes have begun to soften.
6. Pour the contents of the basket back into the same bowl. Add the capers, rosemary, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss well to blend, breaking up the tomatoes a bit to create more moisture in the mixture.
7. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to blend the flavors. Serve chilled or at room temperature. The caponata salsa can stay in its covered bowl in the fridge for up to 2 days before the vegetables weep too much moisture and the dish becomes too wet.