Learn to Cook With Capers: 5 Easy Recipes Using Capers

A caper is the unopened flower bud of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa, also known as Flinders rose), a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean. Caper buds resemble small, dark green pearls about the size of a corn kernel. They have a sharp, salty flavor that lends itself well to seasoning. The small fruits of the caper plant, called caper berries, are also edible.

It’s necessary to cure capers before consuming them. This is done either by salting, brining in a solution of salt and water, or pickling in vinegar, salt, and water. Although it’s the most time-consuming of the traditional techniques, salt curing capers results in the most intense flavors.

From size and shape, to flavor, here are five important things to know about capers:

1. 1. Capers have been cultivated and eaten since ancient times. In fact, the ancient Greeks used capers to treat digestive gas, while the ancient Hebrews considered capers an aphrodisiac.
2. 2. Because they’re so small and delicate, capers can’t be harvested by a machine, and must instead be picked by hand. This labor-intensive process is part of what makes capers so expensive.
3. 3. Capers are picked in the early spring, in the short window before they open up into a white flower with striking purple stamens. Because smaller, more delicate capers are prized, picking happens on a daily basis, and often by morning.
4. 4. If the flower is allowed to bloom fully and fall off the vine, it is replaced by a fruit later in the season, which is called a caper berry. Caper berries are the size of an olive, and resemble cherries with their attached stems. The seeds lining the inside are also edible, and add crunch to the berry’s texture.
5. 5. It’s said that the world’s best capers come from Pantelleria, a Sicilian island in Italy where the plants grow wild.

Both capers and caper berries are widely available in grocery stores. If properly refrigerated after opening, capers can last up to a year.

A French term meaning “has no equal,” non-pareil appears frequently on jars on capers. Non-pareil capers are buds that measure under 7mm and are thought to be the most delicate product on the market, with a tighter, firmer texture.

Capers are sold in the following size categories:

• Non-pareil (up to 7mm)
• Surfines (7-8mm)
• Capucines (8-9mm)
• Capotes (9-11 mm)
• Fines (11-13mm)
• Grusas (14mm and up)

While non-pareil capers are often advertised as the highest quality, the flavor profiles of various caper sizes are a matter of personal taste. Smaller buds have a more subdued flavor than those that are later in the blooming stage.

Chopped or whole, capers give a burst of flavor to everything from tomato sauce to salad dressings. They’re found in regional recipes all over the world.

1. 1. Italy. Italians in particular know the power of a generous handful of capers in waking up the palate and adding texture. Italy is the birthplace of piccata, after all, whose signature sauce of lemon juice, butter, and capers lays a zingy, complex foundation for veal, seafood, or the reigning favorite in the U.S: chicken piccata. In pasta puttanesca, capers meet pressed garlic, briny anchovy paste, dark and fruity Kalamata olives, plus red chili flakes, all stewed together with whole tomatoes and olive oil. It also appears in a local variation of pesto, in which tomatoes, almonds, and capers take the place of basil.
2. 2. Spain. Capers epitomize the simple, ingredient-forward cuisine of Spain, appearing over grilled fish, alongside ham as a peperonata with olives and sweet peppers, or mixed into a Valencian-style paella with tomatoes and saffron. They’re a triple threat in condiments like salsa verde, where they bring vinegar, salt, and a floral note to fresh green herbs and garlic.
3. 3. France. Not to be outdone, France brought the world tartar sauce, in which finely chopped capers (along with lemon juice, herbs like tarragon and dill, and occasionally traditional pickles like gherkins) turn mayonnaise into a tangy, creamy complement to fish dishes like fried clams and crab cakes. Tartar sauce is also the basis for remoulade, a classic sauce to accompany everything from fish to pommes frites.
4. 4. Turkey. In Turkey, capers are a recurring star of vegetable-forward meze feasts, often added to vegetables like eggplant or mixed into fava, a paté made with dried fava beans, lemon, garlic, and olive oil. It’s also a great addition to dishes like menemen, which features scrambled eggs, tomatoes, and green peppers.
5. 5. New York. The undisputed best way to crown a fresh bagel topped with cream cheese, lox (smoked salmon), and red onion is with capers. The scattered briny pops of flavor amid the richness of cream cheese, the smoke of cured fish, and the bite of raw onion is a prime example of the brilliance of the caper: understated, but a defining feature of a classic.

Here are five recipes that feature capers as a star ingredient or a finishing touch.

1. 1. Easy lemon chicken piccata. The bright notes of capers provide a counterpoint to the crispy breaded chicken and pasta accompaniment of this dish.
2. 2. Monkfish with parsley, capers, garlic, and lemon-butter sauce. Capers round out the sauce for this roasted monkfish recipe.
3. 3. Remoulade. Capers are combined with mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and shallots to punch up the pickled undercurrent of this condiment.
4. 4. Niçoise salad. This traditional French salad pairs capers with potatoes, haricots verts, hard-boiled eggs, and tuna.
5. 5. Gordon Ramsay's cauliflower steak. Chef Ramsay’s vegetarian take on steak can be enjoyed as a side dish or entree.

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