Caponata Relish Starter

Caponata
 “One of those sweet, acidic relishes that punches you in the gums, saying yea I’m here” I smother this stuff over my steaks sometimes, even on fish or a charred jerk chicken. If you can, try smoking some aubergine slices on your barbecue for an hour to get a caponata you won’t forget! Then add to the recipe at the beginning. If you can’t, then just follow the recipe below. 

Ingredients 
For the caponata
1/2 pint of olive oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 aubergines, cut into small cubes
2 400g tins San Marzano plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers
60g raisins
3 celery stalks, cut into thin slices
70ml red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 stalk rosemary, finely chopped
For the garnish
100g of daikon radish, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
1 endive lettuce
1 punnet edible flowers “optional”
 
Method
Using a medium sized skillet on high heat, add the olive oil and wait for it to get hot. “If you put your hand over it and have to move your hand away after 4 seconds, then it’s hot enough”. 
Add the aubergines and fry until they are all charred, roughly 5 minutes, then strain them onto a plate and set aside.
Pour out most of the oil and save for future use, then add the red onions to the skillet, turn the heat to low, then simmer until the onions are deeply charred, roughly 20 minutes. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on a low heat for 40 minutes then mash up slightly with a potato masher.
 
Assembling the caponata
Put a round of daikon radish into the centre of a plate, followed by three endive leaves. Then, add 3 tablespoons of warm caponata onto the daikon radish round, garnish with the edible flower if using.
Drizzle with some good olive oil and sprinkle with some ground sea salt. 
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