Nick Stellino's Caponata

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the eggplant into a metal colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, cover with a dish, put a heavy weight on top and let it drain for 15 minutes. Remove and pat very dry.

Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large, ovenproof skillet and cook on high heat for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the eggplant and cook on one side for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with ? teaspoon of the salt and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the eggplant to a bowl to cool. Wipe the skillet, pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and cook medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions, stir until well coated and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, red pepper flakes and º teaspoon of the salt and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the cocoa powder until well mixed and simmer for 3 minutes.

In a small pan on high heat, cook the vinegar and sugar until reduced by half and quite syrupy, about 2 minutes. Stir into the vegetables, mix well and simmer on very low heat for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.