Recipe: Pipi e Patati (Peppers and Potatoes with Capers) and Article: The Great Culinary Caper

THE GREAT CULINARY CAPER

Those musty-tasting, greyish capers that have been languishing in your refrigerator for years won't add much to a meal. However, I discovered just how much delightfully pungent flavor you can contribute to dishes if you open a fresh bottle of fresh, plump capers.

Tasting of the earth and a fresh sea breeze, capers are one of the defining tastes of Sicilian cooking. A key ingredient in zesty Eggplant Caponata, they can also add depth to sweet and savory Tuna Agrodolce. Caper dishes more familiar to Americans may include Puttanesca sauce for pasta and tangy seafood tartar sauce.

Although we are used to finding them pickled in vinegar or brine, most Sicilians believe that capers preserved in salt offer better flavor. Contrary to the tiny buds labeled as nonpareil that most Americans use, Italians favor large, fat capers.

Capers grow wild throughout the Mediterranean. From Spain to the Greek Islands, caper bushes with soft, trailing green leaves cling to windswept cliffs and erupt from crevices in old stone walls. When their white and pink flowers with long purple stamens blossom, they are a beautiful and fragrant sight.

While on the Sicilian islands of Salina, I learned how capers, which are the buds of the plant, are harvested. Every day, from May through July, the bushes must be inspected and any buds that are ready are picked by hand. The harvested buds are packed in sea salt between four and six weeks to draw out excess bitterness. Then they are sorted into one of seven sizes, ranging from a bead-like 1/4-inch to a robust 1/2-inch. The smallest capers are often packed in vinegar or in olive oil, along with local wild herbs. The majority of the crop are preserved in sparkling crystals of sea salt.

Capers from Salina and those from its neighboring island of Pantelleria have a similar vibrant, clear flavor. Many Italian stores in the United States now carry them. Whatever caper you choose, for the best results always rinse them well before using. See what bold flavor they add to a dish of roasted red peppers and anchovies, grilled fish drizzled with lemon and olive oil, or this combination of potatoes baked with sweet peppers and onions.

PIPI E PATATI (PEPPERS AND POTATOES WITH CAPERS)

1 medium mild yellow or red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise in crescents
1 1/2 lbs. yellow-fleshed or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 medium red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut in 1/4-inch slices
3 Tbsp. capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

In a 8-inch x 12-inch (2-quart) shallow baking dish, arrange half the onions in one layer. Cover with half the potatoes, arranging the slices in a single layer. Arrange half the peppers over the potatoes. Sprinkle with half of the capers and basil. Season with half the salt, and pepper to taste. Repeat, making a second layer with the remaining onion, potatoes, peppers, capers, basil, salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes over the top. Pour in 1/2 cup water. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake, uncovered, until the tip of a knife easily pierces the potatoes, 40-45 minutes. The vegetables will hold their shape and the tips of some of the peppers may be black.

Serve slightly warm or let sit at room temperature before serving. This dish tastes even better the day after it is made.

Each of the six servings contains 146 calories and 3 grams of fat
Source: Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research