Maltese Kapunata

1. Cook the eggplant: heat olive oil (use about a quarter of it, roughly 80ml) in your largest pot on medium heat. Add the chopped eggplant, work in 2 batches if your pan can’t hold it all in one layer, and cook for about 7-8 minutes per batch until golden brown. Keep chunks reasonably large so they don’t soak up too much oil and turn heavy. Remove and set aside.
2. Cook onion and garlic: add more olive oil to the pan and add the diced red onions. Cook on medium heat until translucent, then add the finely chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add capsicum: add the diced red capsicum to the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
4. Build the tomato base: add the peeled chopped tomatoes and fry. Add the tomato paste (adjust to taste) and sugar (adjust to taste, start with 1 tablespoon). Mix well and let cook down for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Combine and simmer: once most of the tomatoes have cooked down, return the cooked eggplant to the pan along with the red wine vinegar (to taste), olives, and capers. Mix well, reduce to a low simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, to allow all ingredients to soften and thicken, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t catch.
6. Season: season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper to start, taste, add more if needed.
7. Finish and cool: stir through the chopped fresh mint and basil, tasting as you go, and adjust as required. Since this is being served cold for bruschetta, store in a container and refrigerate until needed.
8. Prepare the bread and serve: slice the sourdough loaves into bruschetta-sized pieces (about 1.5cm thick). Brush or drizzle with the extra olive oil and lightly toast or grill if desired. Top with the cooled kapunata to serve.

Scaled up for serving on sourdough as bruschetta-style appetisers for a crowd of 25. Best served cold or at room temperature.