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Capers - what are they eaten with?


Capers - what are they eaten with?
Capers - These are the buds of a herb or shrub plant of the Capparis spinosa species of the caper family, common in the arid regions of Asia and Africa. It is believed that the native land of the plant is Western or Central Asia, although in its wild form it can be found throughout the Mediterranean, and capers are cultivated in France, Spain, Italy, Algeria, Cyprus, Greece and even North America. This plant is referred to as the so-called landscape plant, since it, especially in the season of lush white-pink flowering, determines the appearance of vast territories. It is no coincidence that the name of the greatest Iranian desert Deshte-Kevir is associated with capers (in the Farsi language, capers are "kevir").

The name of capers in most European languages ​​goes back to the Greek kapparis, which, in turn, is borrowed from the Near or Middle East; compare Russian capers, French - cdpres, German - Careg, Italian - sarrego, Norwegian - kapers, Swedish - kapris and Danish - kappertjes. The Portuguese alcaparra and the Spanish alcaparron with the characteristic Arabic prefix al - indicate the path of capers to these countries. Indians in various dialects call capers kobra, kabra, or kabarra. The plant's specific name is spinosa (thorny) due to the numerous stipules in the form of thorns, although they are absent in many cultivated varieties.

Capers are the flower buds of the Capparis spinosa plant. Their homeland is Asia, at present "they are distributed mainly in Spain, Italy, the Balkan Peninsula, France and Algeria. From these states and regions the best varieties come to the market. They were used for cooking in ancient Greece and in antiquity. Rome Description The plant is a semi-shrub, barely reaching a height of 1 m. Flowers, from white to pink, are 50-70 mm in diameter. The plant blooms in July and August.

The taste of capers is sour-salty, slightly spicy, depending on preparation it can be tart. Capers are used mashed, mixed with other spices and salt, or alone.
Suitable for the preparation of marinades, cold sauces and snacks, mayonnaise, fish and meat salads, anchovies, cold beef and poultry.
Capers are considered an integral part of hot white sauces for fish and meat, for dishes of tomatoes and herring salads, in addition, some people like capers pounded with salt and black pepper cheese.
The flower buds (Flos capparis) are harvested and sorted by size on sieves. After collection, the buds are dried in the shade and placed for 3 months in salt or in salt and vegetable oil. Prepared in this way, capers have a slightly sour-salty, slightly pungent taste and, depending on the preparation, have a tart taste. After processing, they acquire a dark green color and the size of a pea. After the end of this process, the capers are packed and put on the market.

The capers are harvested several times a season, while the buds must be picked early in the morning by hand - the smaller they are, the better their taste. The collected buds are never dried - they are wilted and then salted with vegetable (usually olive) oil or marinated in wine vinegar (by the way, salted capers are preserved better than pickled ones).
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Application:
Capers are used ground, mixed with other spices and salt, or separately. Many amateurs appreciate them as a flavoring, corrective substance. Capers are used for the preparation of marinades and mayonnaise, as a seasoning for cold appetizers, meat, cold sauces, various herring fish and meat salads, cold beef slices, fish and poultry.They are considered an integral part of hot white sauces for fish and meat, for dishes of tomatoes and salad and o herring. Some gourmets use capers, ground with salt and black pepper for cheese. And the famous anchovies cannot be imagined without capers.

The best varieties are capers of French Provence: the most expensive pickled small (about 1-3 mm) - nonpareille (nonparelle), or surfines, - they must be added to the famous salade Nicoise of potatoes, olives, green beans, small artichokes and hard eggs with a dressing of vinegar and olive oil, sometimes anchovies. Larger capote (bonnet) capers, or communes, which are 5 times larger than usual, can be found on the shelves of Provence vegetable markets - they are quite tasty and cheap, although they cannot be compared with small nonparelia. Capers from the Maltese island of Gozo are highly prized - here they are served with almost all meat dishes. Sometimes, salted or pickled young shoots of capers and its unripe fruits are also used as a spicy spicy seasoning - however, they are rarely sold. In addition, edible vegetable oil is obtained from the seeds.

Marinated capers are certainly included in such classic French sauces as tartare, remoulade, ravigote and sauce cdpres, it is prepared on the basis of veloute sauce, adding capers, cream and butter. Let's try to make the famous tapenade sauce, its name comes from the Provencal tapena - capers. This thick, infusion-like sauce is common in Provence, where it is served on toasted toast with wine, as a seasoning for raw vegetables or hard eggs, as well as grilled meats or strong-smelling sea fish dishes.

Quite popular in France is a compound (with capers and lemon juice) oil (beurre de cdpres), it is usually served with fish and vegetables. Capers are in perfect harmony with all the herbs of the Mediterranean (basil, oregano and garlic) and are often combined with salted and pickled olives.

In Georgian cuisine, jondjoli, the buds of one of the types of acacia growing in the Caucasus, act as capers. They are usually pickled, then lightly squeezed, put in a salad bowl, poured with vegetable oil, sprinkled with chopped green or onions, sprinkled with wine vinegar and served as a spicy snack or seasoning (200 g of jond-jolly 30 g of onion, 5 g vinegar and 10 g oil). You can store such a delicacy for no more than two days, and jonjoli are collected only in one place - in Lechkhum. It is interesting that one of the Spanish names for sesame (!) Ajonjoli is consonant with jonjoli, but the reason for this similarity is not clear, if you do not adhere to the hypothesis that the Spanish Basques are from the Caucasus.
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Medical application:
Capers are not only tasty, but also very healthy - every 100 grams of kidneys contains 150 mg of vitamin C and a fairly large amount of rutin (vitamin P). It is not for nothing that since biblical times they have been used as strengthening agents, and the very name "capers" in the "Biblical Encyclopedia", published in Moscow in 1891, is translated from Greek as "desire, passion". And, for example, the words of Ecclesiastes "... the caper will crumble, for a person departs to his eternal home ..." are interpreted as an old age breakdown, "deep autumn of life." For medicinal purposes, the shoots of this plant are also used - pounded with garlic, they help with fungal skin diseases. The juice from the flowers has healing properties, and the decoction of the roots soothes the nerves.

Content of nutrients:
The chemical composition has not yet been fully understood. The active ingredient is rutin glycoside, the content of which reaches 5%. Act. Opinions differ about the effect of capers on the human body. Although in medicine they are used from ancient times to the present as a medicine for various diseases, but even ancient doctors pointed out a certain harm to capers and expressed the opinion that after their use, swelling and urge to vomit occur. Several authors provide evidence of their beneficial effect on lowering blood pressure.
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Chef Tips:

Capers - what are they eaten with?

Capers are best preserved in marinade, although in Mediterranean countries they are often salted and sold in bulk.

Pickled capers are an excellent spicy seasoning for soups, pork, poultry, fish and kidney dishes.

Capers, as a rule, do not undergo prolonged heat treatment, they are added just before the end of cooking (for example, in a hodgepodge), since the essential oil evaporates during prolonged boiling.

Capers are rarely used whole in cooking and are usually ground with salt or herbs, or chopped into small pieces so that their strong, salty flavor is evenly distributed throughout the dish. To preserve the specific taste and aroma, add capers at the end of cooking. In small quantities, capers can be added to borscht and hodgepodge. In this case, no salt is required. It is recommended to rinse or soak capers in water before using to remove excess salt. Pickled capers should be kept in the marinade by removing them immediately before use. In this case, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 9 months. Salted dry capers can be stored at room temperature for up to six months. Capers pair well with many foods, but if you don't feel like experimenting, here are some win-win, time-tested pairings:
• with olive and butter,
• with mayonnaise,
• with lamb, beef,
• with Chiken,
• with seafood,
• with salted and smoked fish, anchovies,
• with pickled cucumbers,
• with onion,
• with pasta,
• with olives,
• with tomatoes, sweet peppers,
• with celery,
• with mozzarella, feta and feta cheese,
• with eggs,
• with tarragon, parsley, dill.

Caper recipes

Vietnamese salad
Ingredients:
100 g of rice
100 g pistachios
1 orange,
50 g capers
olive oil,
fresh mint, basil to taste.
Preparation:
Cook the rice in a little water so that it does not stick together. Rinse the orange thoroughly and remove the zest with a grater, squeeze the juice into a separate container. Crush the pistachios. Tear the greens with your hands. Finely chop the capers. Mix everything and cover with orange juice and olive oil sauce.

Salty canapes
Ingredients:
200-250 g salted red fish,
1 bell pepper
1 can of capers,
canapé skewers.
Preparation:
Cut the fish into thin slices. Cut the pepper into cubes and wrap them in fish. Place a caper bud on top and secure with a skewer.

Pasta sauce
Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
1 tbsp. l. olive oil,
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp. l. capers,
1 tbsp. l. basilica.
Preparation:
Fry strips of pepper in olive oil and crushed garlic. Remove, stir in capers and chopped basil. Serve with pasta or fish dishes.

Tomato sauce
Ingredients:
4-5 tomatoes,
2-3 cloves of garlic,
1 tbsp. l. capers,
coriander, olive oil to taste.
Preparation:
Toss tomato pulp with crushed garlic and finely chopped capers. Sprinkle with coriander and olive oil.

Tartar sauce
Ingredients:
500 g mayonnaise
500 g sour cream
80-100 g capers,
150-200 g gherkins,
4 boiled yolks
a bunch of fresh dill.
Preparation:
Peel capers from seeds and chop finely together with gherkins and dill. Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, yolks and half each caper, gherkin and dill in a blender. Add the remaining capers, gherkins and dill to the finished sauce, stir well.

Pickled mushrooms with cheese
• 150 g pickled mushrooms
• 150 g of hard cheese
• 2 tbsp. spoons of capers
• 1 onion
• 50 ml mayonnaise
• parsley.
Cut the cheese into fairly large cubes.
Drain the mushrooms.
Cut the capers into 2-3 pieces.
Chop the onion.
Stir the mushrooms with cheese, onions and capers.
Place in a salad bowl, drizzle with mayonnaise and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Lightly salted salmon tartare
lightly salted salmon 8 pieces
red sweet pepper 0.5 pcs.
red onion 0.5 onions
small capers 1 tbsp. l.
dill 1 bunch
1 bunch chives
For the sauce:
3/4 cup sweet mustard
white wine vinegar 2 tbsp. l.
sugar 3 tbsp. l.
salt, white pepper to taste
rapeseed oil 2 cups
dill 1 bunch
Cooking:
1. Finely chop the salmon fillet.Chop bell peppers and red onions in the same way. Wash and dry the dill and chives. Set aside 2 sprigs of dill and 2 onion feathers, and chop the remaining herbs.
2. In a bowl, combine capers, salmon pieces, bell peppers, red onions and herbs.
3. Prepare the sauce. Whisk the mustard lightly with vinegar, sugar, salt and white pepper. Beat until sugar is completely dissolved. Wash the dill, dry it, chop and add to the sauce. Continuing to stir, pour in rapeseed oil in a thin stream.
4. Add 3 tablespoons to the salmon tartare. l. sauce and mix thoroughly. Use the remaining sauce for other dishes.
5. Divide the resulting tartar into 4 small tins, press lightly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut 4 circles of brown bread of the same diameter as the molds. Turn over the tartar tins on bread mugs, carefully remove them.
Decorate the tartare with some herbs.

Tiramisu
I tried (I didn't do it myself) the capers added to butter, I really liked this kind of "pate", spread it on bread - very tasty
mka
I used them when I stewed chicken with sour cream and capers in a pan. Peculiar. I added it to the hodgepodge.
Arbena
We use them, like many, in a hodgepodge.
Mom also uses capers to relieve blood pressure. This is an old recipe. That is, those who have hypotension do not need to get carried away with them.
Chef
Picked up gracefully you caper
a chilling spear of silver.
Your legs are unshaven cacti
They hinted transparently - it's time ...

An unfinished sip of Benedictine
Shook the emerald shadow
Oh, what a wonderful day.
Oh, what a wonderful day!
(c)
natapit
delicious. if you add capers to stewed meat in sauce, it's beautiful! and not only meat. but also meatballs ... mmm ...
I was recently treated to homemade "salted" capers. no comparison with the store !!!
any cold snacks. where there is smoked red fish deliciously impossible !!!

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