Caponata Of Crustaceans And Molluscs

Preparation:

Preparation: Cut the aubergine into strips which you will collect in a colander; and let them leak. Eviscerate the octopus, remove its beak and eyes, then detach the body from the tentacles. Prepare a court-bouillon by boiling for about 5 liters for twenty minutes with a diced carrot, a medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme sprigs, a clove of garlic, a drop of wine, salt and peppercorns. After the indicated time, plunge the lobster into the court-bouillon, boil it for 10 minutes then switch off and let it cool in the cooking broth. Blanch the tomatoes, peel them, remove the seeds and chop them coarsely. Boil the onions in plenty of salted water, cooking them for 10 minutes. Flour and fry the aubergines in plenty of hot oil, the celery hearts cut in half lengthwise, and the octopus cut into regular pieces. In a large saucepan, brown the partially boiled onions in 5-6 spoonfuls of hot oil; then sprinkle them with a spoonful of sugar, let them brown slightly and then sprinkle them with vinegar. When the latter has partially evaporated, add the tomatoes and whole scampi; cover and let this sauce cook over a moderate heat for 30 minutes, then add 50 g of chopped parsley, the green or black olives, a spoonful of capers rinsed off the salt, the aubergine and the fried celery hearts. Continue cooking over very moderate heat, stirring occasionally and in the meantime, shell the lobster; cut the tail into slices, add them to the sauce together with the fried pieces of octopus, salt and pepper. Stir one last time to let everything flavor well, then transfer the caponata to a serving dish and serve hot or cold.