Eggplant caponata

Dice the eggplants and cover in salt for about an hour, then rinse with fresh water; after drying them or straining them, fry the eggplants. Do not fully cook, just brown them until half cooked. In the meantime, wash the celery and remove leaves, cut stem in one-centimetre pieces, boil and soften it. Sautee an abundant amount of finely sliced onions, add the tomato sauce, olives, the boiled celery and the capers. Finally, add the eggplants and continue cooking ensuring that the sauce covers them partially. Once cooked, proceed with the sweet and sour preparation. Add vinegar and immediately after the sugar to the previously cooked eggplants. The entire mixture should be cooked on a medium flame for a few minutes. Allow it to rest for a few hours, garnish with the saved celery leaves, basil and chopped toasted almonds and serve caponata cold.