The Mysterious Caper

Solving the caper. We get asked a lot “What is a caper, actually?”

These funny little things show up often enough … in sauces, in dressings, with fish, with chicken, even in martini glasses — swimming in iced vodka or gin. They can be small like peppercorns or large like olives. They are generally khaki green and brined with salt or vinegar.  Their flavor is unmatched.

So let us shed some light on the caper mystery.

Capers are actually flower buds which are harvested before they open. They grow on a plant called Capparis Spinosa, most often found in Asia and the Mediterranean. The smallest capers, Nonpareils, are harvested in the south of France and are the most expensive to buy. Harvesting is done by hand, thus the high cost. As well, the smaller variety has a subtler flavor, while the larger capers tend to be quite strong — excellent for the aforementioned martinis, however!

Because of their naturally lemony flavor and the vinegar and salt brine they sit in to achieve their final flavor, they taste best when combined with dishes that benefit from acidic additions. Many Mediterranean dishes call for capers. It can be added to tomato-based pasta sauces, lemon-based chicken recipes and sauces with vinegar reductions.

Here are a couple of super easy ways to incorporate capers into your cuisine.

Simple Lemon Caper Sauce for Chicken or Fish

½ cup butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

4 teaspoons drained capers (small sized or chopped if larger)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

In a sauté pan, melt butter, sauté garlic until whitened, add lemon juice and capers. Cook over low heat 3 minutes or so. Off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Pour over grilled or poached chicken or fish.

Lemon Caper Vinaigrette for Greens

In food processor, combine the following until emulsified:

2 teaspoons capers

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon good quality Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Serve over fresh, chilled greens.

“Caper solved!”