Recipes <\/p>\n
Capers are like flattery\u2014a little goes a long way. A tablespoon adds tiny pops of brine, moody in color and assertive in flavor. You know their power if you\u2019ve added a sprinkle to a bagel<\/a> with lox, scattered some over a Ni\u00e7oise salad<\/a>, or used them to fortify a pasta puttanesca<\/a>. Though petite in size, this pantry stalwart will make a big impression on any savory dish in need of a hit of lemony tang.<\/p>\n Technically, capers<\/a> are the flower buds of the Capparis spinosa<\/em> plant, a prickly shrub commonly found bordering the Mediterranean, in places like Morocco and Greece. The smallest variety is nonpareil, meaning \u201cwithout peer\u201d in French and available in most grocery stores. Sold packed in salt or soaking in a vinegar solution, they\u2019re tart and potent, like teeny, supercharged olives. (Not to be confused with caper berries, the larger, unripe fruit of the same plant, which you\u2019ll often see still on the stem.)<\/p>\n At home, buy the big jar<\/a> and ditch the narrow-necked bottles altogether, so you can easily fish out your bounty with a spoon. Then pat them dry (rinse first, if salted), and crisp them<\/a> in a splash of oil to create a textural topping for roasted vegetables or a bowl of<\/a> soup<\/a>. Finely chop them to stir into a creamy dressing, like a Caesar, for a vegetarian-friendly alternative to anchovies<\/a>. Or use the brine from the jar to marinate chicken, which stays tender and juicy beneath a pan sauce made from whole capers and butter.<\/p>\n