Capers

How to Identify capers

Capers range in size from the minute nonpareil (1/8 inch - 3 mm) from southern France, considered the finest, to those called capotes (5/8 inch–15 mm), with the Italian capers, which can be as big as the tip of your little finger, in between. The Spanish imported stemmed caperberries are about the size of a cocktail olive.

Capers are generally available pickled in brine, in a bottle or jar, but can also be salted and sold loose, in bulk; these should be rinsed before use to remove the excess salt. Gourmet tasters think it is worth looking for the nonpareilles because their flavor is much finer.

How to use and store capers

The pungent flavor of capers lends piquancy to many sauces and condiments; they are also used as garnish for meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
Their characteristic flavor develops only when the buds are pickled in wine vinegar. Capers will keep indefinitely in jars, as long as they are covered in pickling liquid. Remove the capers carefully from liquid and chop or pound as required.

Capers are used in an ample array of cold sauces: tartare, remoulade, ravigote, gribiche; in the Provencal tapenade; in Italian salsa verde; often combined with anchovies in antipasti or pizzas. Capers are found in hot fish and meat sauces, and often served with fish. They are used in dishes like skate with black butter and the English caper sauce eaten with boiled mutton. Many times capers are added to steak tartare; they can also be added to meat stews to obtain a flavor out of the ordinary

How to grow capers

In their natural habitat, the Mediterranean area, caper plants grow wild or are cultivated in plantations. They are a greenhouse plant in northern temperate climates. The plant can be propagated from cuttings.

Capers grow mainly in Mediterranean countries, notably southern France, Italy, Spain and Algeria. They are also grown in California and other Mediterranean-type climates.

Cooking with capers

Both tartar sauce and mock tartar sauce has a mayonnaise base and there are detailed instructions about how to prepare them together with the recipe for mayonnaise.

If you don't have it, substitute 1 Tbs capers with:

• 1 Tbs green olives, chopped for a salad, whole to garnish a Martini or a cocktail
• 1 Tbs caper berries -the larger Spanish capers- as a garnish
• 1 Tbs chopped pickled cucumbers for a mock tartar sauce
• 1 Tbs chopped pickles as garnish, for a mock tartar sauce, or for cooking.

Cooking your way with capers

Use them in the conventional way first: serve smoked salmon or trout with some drops of lemon juice and a few scattered capers as a garnish; you can also add some chopped hard-boiled egg. Use any combination of these ingredients for a canapé or as sandwich filling, with some romaine lettuce and fine slices of onion.