Capers are an ingredient that I always, always have either in my larder
or in the refrigerator. I just adore their tangy flavour and the
flavour boost they give to dishes that they are used in!
I had never
ever heard of them prior to moving over here to the UK. Mind you I hadn't discovered pizza until my late teens, nor Chinese
food! I had a really limited experience with food when I was growing
up.
It was all simple but good. Nothing fancy smancy, and I guess I
carried that somewhat into my adulthood . . . with a few new
discoveries along the way, of course!
Capers are the small flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub called
Capparis . They are picked by hand which means they can be fairly
pricey but they're a versatile store cupboard ingredient, and are good
for adding a distinctive sour/salty flavour to many savoury dishes.
Also a little goes a long, long way flavour wise, so they are not a bad
investment as they will keep virtually forever in the refrigerator so
long as you keep the berries submerged in the pickling liquid if you
have bought the pickled ones and salt is a natural preservative so the
salted ones keep virtually forever as well.
Really small, peppercorn-sized capers, called 'nonpareille' are
available, but the slightly larger ones are more common. Capers are
preserved a number of ways - either in salt, wine vinegar, brine or
olive oil.
The brine-pickled type has the sharpest flavour and is
slightly less versatile than the salted type. For a more sophisticated
caper flavour, you can try the elegantly stemmed caper berries, which
are a little milder and sweeter than the standard type.
I have a bottle
of those in the larder, which I have yet to use. I think they are more for dinner party garnishes, and we don't have many dinner parties.
They go really well with mild flavoured proteins such as chicken and
mild flavoured fish . . . and they are great in tartar sauce!
They
actually help to bring out the best in these things . . . and when you
mix them with lemon, it's a combination that just goes WOWSA in your
mouth!
This dish here today is one of my absolute all time favourite chicken
dishes. I could seriously eat it every night of the week . . . well,
maybe not every night, but fairly often anyways!
The chicken is so tender in this . . . because it cooks so quickly and
that sauce is just to die for. Buttery and lemony . . . with just the
right amount of salty piquancy!
I just adore this and I think you will
too. It's quick and easy and just fancy enough to be considered
special.
*Chicken with Lemon and Capers*
Serves 4
12 TBS cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces divided
2 TBS finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
80ml chicken stock (1/3 cup)
1 sp sugar
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp parsley flakes
fine sea salt
pepper
2 heaped dessertspoons of non-pareil capers, rinsed and drained
For the Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or use cutlets)
2 TBS grated parmesan Cheese
45g flour (1/3 cup)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
olive oil
8 ounces (1/2 pound) angel hair pasta, cooked and drained to serve
Heat a swirl of olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Once it is hot add the chicken and brown well on each side. (About 3 minutes per side. Don't overcook) Remove to a plate and then keep warm in a low oven.
Add 1 TBS of the butter to the pan. Reduce the pan to low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, sugar, parsley flakes and lemon juice. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by about half. Turn the heat down to very low. Start whisking in the butter a bit at a time, letting it melt before adding more. The sauce should form a thick silky emulsion.
Stir in the capers. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
To serve divide drained pasta between plates. Top with chicken pieces and spoon sauce over all. Serve immediately.
This is absolutely gorgeous. Just looking at the pictures makes me want to eat it all over again! I just know you will love it too! Bon Appetit!
Oh delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Monique! It is a real favourite here! xo
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