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Eggplant in a sweet-and-sour braise with vinegar and sugar — a traditional Sicilian vegetable dish.
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A dish that embodies Sicilian "agrodolce" (sweet-and-sour) cooking, believed to reflect the influence of the Arabs who once ruled the island, who favored sugar and vinegar in savory cooking — a flavor profile distinct within Mediterranean cuisine. Fried eggplant is combined with celery, onion, and tomato, plus olives, capers, pine nuts, and raisins for savory-sweet contrast, then finished with vinegar and sugar for a rich, tangy-sweet balance. Traditionally served at room temperature or chilled, and it only improves as it sits, so it's often made in large batches ahead of time.
Cut the eggplant into chunks, salt lightly to draw out moisture, then deep-fry and set aside.
Trim and dice the celery; thinly slice the onion.
Heat olive oil in a pot and sauté the celery and onion.
Add the canned tomatoes, olives, capers, pine nuts, and raisins, and simmer 10 minutes.
Return the fried eggplant to the pot, add the vinegar and sugar, and simmer gently 5 more minutes to combine.
Let cool, and ideally refrigerate for half a day or more before serving for the best flavor.