A strange thing has been happening to me lately. I’ve picked up this 
strange obsession with capers. It all started with the Sicilian-style potato gratin in Bon Appetit last month (photo from the magazine pictured right . . . see why I couldn’t resist?). Then it expanded to pan sauces and salads. And now jars that would have festered in the fridge for months are being used up in a single week.
Capers are an interesting phenomenon. They’re the bud of the Capparis Spinosa bush (doesn’t that sound like a spell Hermione would chant with her wand in Harry Potter?), which have been hand-picked in the early morning, sun-
dried and pickled in a vinegar brine (they commonly come jarred with the brine, but you can also find them packed in salt). The bush grows prolifically throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, which is why we find the little gems in so many of the regions’ dishes. The tiniest ones from the South of France, called nonpareils, are considered by many to be the best of the best (as suggested by their name, which means ‘without peer’ in French). If the buds are left to mature they ripen into—you guessed it—caperberries; those finger-nail sized, fig shaped snacks with a flavor and texture all their own.
Capers in the Kitchen
Scoop out a spoonful of capers (I’ll admit, the tiny nonpareils are my favorite), rinse them off, and toss them with pasta in a lemon and tuna sauce. Or fry them in a bit of olive oil until crisp and serve them as a snack or garnish. However you choose to use them, they’ll add a unique pop of floral brininess to your finished dish.
Wine pairing-wise, when I pull out a jar of capers I also like to slip a bottle of grassy, mineraly Sauvignon Blanc into the fridge; there’s just something about the two of them that plays together beautifully.
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{ Fall Apart Chicken Legs with Garlic, Capers and Pancetta }
Some will argue that you should stir the capers in at the end of cooking, which I would agree with . . . sometimes. In this case, though, I like the way they soften and how their tart flavor seeps into the sauce during their 
extended time in the pot.
4 chicken legs, including thighs
6 cloves garlic, sliced
3 ounces pancetta, finely diced
2 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat on the stovetop. Season chicken legs with salt and pepper and brown thoroughly on all sides. Remove to a plate and add garlic, thyme and pancetta to the pan. Sauté until garlic is golden and tender and pancetta is crisp. Stir in capers.
3. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom until the wine has evaporated. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and nestle chicken legs back in the pan. Cover and transfer to oven.
4. Cook for 30 minutes, until chicken is just beginning to fall off the bone. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Move the pan to a burner and reduce liquid over medium high heat until the consistency of a thin gravy. Add chicken back to pan to reheat, then serve in shallow bowls, ladled with sauce.
Serves 4
This is my entry for Kalyn’s Kitchen Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Kalyn herself this week!
14 Comments
To be honest, Lia, capers and I haven’t gotten on too well. I’ve tried them in salads, pastas, and appetizers but usually find them too briny. They’re one of those foods I really want to like though, so I keep trying, you know? This is a lovely recipe.
I am like Susan - not too sure about capers. This recipe sounds wonderful though - I’m always open to trying new things. I think I like the initial potato recipe though - I’m a big fan of potatoes. We used to farm them - I love them raw with salt.
steph
Well, we love capers in our house! Not sure when we first starting using them, but I always have one open jar and another one in the pantry just in case we run out! This recipe sounds great.
I love capers. I buy the huge bottles at Costco and try to never run out. In fact, just a while ago I minced some up and added them to tartar sauce. The chicken sounds so flavorful with the thyme and pancetta, and I agree this is one time where the long-simmering would really bring out the caper flavor.
I’m quite fond of capers myself. I like to stock up on jars of them at Trader Joe’s!
For all those people who don’t like capers (liks Susan and Stephanie), you really should try the salt cured ones, they are dramatically better. I couldn’t stand capers until I tried them.
Lia, your recipe sounds terrific - it has many of my favorite ingredients. And I’m so glad you liked the salad, thanks for the link.
Capers! In a main dish salad! Summer!http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/antipasto-salad-with-grilled-chicken
http://www.thefoodwhore.com/archives/2008/02/index.html I knew that recipe looked familiar…
This. Looks. Fabulous.
Thank you for the reminder to get more capers. We adore capers and recently used up the last of the them on pizza last week.
Susan . . . I hear you. Keep trying though, it’s a new passion for me and I’m loving it.
Steph . . . Try the recipe–you’ll never even know they’re capers!
Patsy, Kalyn, RecipeGirl . . . Three more caper lovers! Kalyn, I love the idea of chopped capers in tartar sauce.
Laurie . . . The salt-packed ones are my next adventure. Can’t wait.
C’tina . . . Honestly, isn’t that the most luscious photo?
Elizabeth . . . Oooh, capers on pizza. I hadn’t thought of that. Yet another thing to try!
I made both . . . .
in one evening.
Very tasty. steph
this recipe looks really fantastic. the combinations of garlic, pancetta, capers and white wine sounds beautiful.
and i totally understand your caper obsession. i crave them to no end.
Funny but I have had my love affair with capers as well. But when it comes to chicken piccata I almost empty the whole jar.
Capers have such a great name!
I normally associate them with fish (briny?), Tartar Sauce.
This looks tasty though. I’ve some thighs to use and might make this tomorrow.
Thanks