TABELIA

AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Melanzane alla ScapeceEggplant alla Scapece

Eggplant alla Scapece
Difficulty★★☆☆☆ Prep30 min Cook20 min servings4

A traditional Neapolitan appetizer of fried eggplant marinated with mint and vinegar. An overnight rest mellows the acidity and brings out the freshness of the mint. It is also a preserved preparation that can be made ahead in summer.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

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Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Eggplant600 g
  • Sunflower oil for frying400 ml
  • White wine vinegar60 ml
  • Garlic2 cloves
  • Fresh mint1 bunch
  • Salt2 tsp

Method

Preparation and salting

1

Salt the eggplant to draw out moisture

  • 1 Cut the eggplant into rounds 5 mm thick.
  • 2 Arrange in a colander, sprinkle with 2 tsp salt and leave for 30 minutes to remove bitterness and moisture.
2

Dry the eggplant

  • 1 Thoroughly blot the salted eggplant with paper towels.
  • 2 Any remaining moisture will cause the oil to splatter.

Frying

3

Fry the eggplant until golden

  • 1 Heat the oil in a deep-frying pot to 175°C and fry the eggplant a few slices at a time for 3–4 minutes.
  • 2 When golden on all sides, remove and drain on paper towels.
4

Prepare the garlic and mint

  • 1 Thinly slice the garlic.
  • 2 Pick the mint leaves from the stems.

Marinating

5

Layer the eggplant and seasonings

  • 1 Arrange 1 layer of eggplant in a storage container, scatter with a little garlic and torn mint, and drizzle with a little white wine vinegar.
  • 2 Repeat to build layers.
  • 3 Finish with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

Maturing

6

Let the flavors meld in the refrigerator

  • 1 Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

Ready when

The flavors are best combined and most delicious the next day.

Caution

Serve at room temperature, and do not omit the extra vinegar.

A view of Napoli, Campania
Napoli, CampaniaItaly Photo: Armando Mancini · CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

At the summer table in Naples, vegetable dishes prepared the day before naturally reappear the following day. Scapece grew from southern Italy’s culture of preservation and flavor development through resting fried vegetables in vinegar and herbs.

Melanzane alla scapece is a representative example, using the eggplant abundant in summer. Before refrigerators became common, vinegar offered a way to enjoy vegetables over several days, making this dish well suited to preparing ahead at home.

The word scapece is believed to be connected with the Spanish escabeche, evoking exchanges between southern Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. Similar dishes survive in Calabria and Puglia as well as Naples, showing the reach of Mediterranean food-preservation traditions.

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