Capers, Love at First Bite

Chicken piccata

Capers, Love at First Bite

The small berries from the Mediterranean pack just the right kick. I can’t remember the first time I had capers. It may have been at my first restaurant job in college, having the chef’s special after my shift. Or maybe further back to when I was in junior high and my mother thought she’d expand our horizons. Whenever she wanted to do or eat something that she knew my brother and I probably wouldn’t like, she said it was to expand our horizons. Whenever it was, today I think these little berries are one of the best complements to pasta and chicken dishes, offering a perfect briny flavor and a decorative element at the same time.

Capers were first used in ancient Greece as a carminative. They are little fruit that grow on the caper bush, a perennial winter-deciduous plant found in the Mediterranean. They are widely used in Cypriot, Italian, and Greek cuisine. They are the “secret” ingredient in tartar sauce.  Some people think that the selenium and rutin found in capers help fight cancer. You’d probably have to eat a handful a day for noticeable affects, though. I prefer to eat them periodically in egg, pasta, and chicken dishes.  

The other night I made an over the top chicken piccata. The key to a successful piccata is freshly squeezed lemon juice and good capers. With this combination you really don’t need any salt, although a little mixed the flour helps. After muscling out a half cup of lemon juice from two lemons, I dredged my washed and trimmed boneless chicken breasts in seasoned flour and fried them in some olive oil until golden brown. Then pouring in the lemon juice and some chicken broth I let the chicken finish off in the simmering brew, but not before adding a handful of capers for a magical finish. Oh, the tartness of the lemon and capers against the battered chicken. I love it when food bites you back.

Chicken Piccata

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 (4-ounce) chicken breasts (1 pound)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

Juice of 2 lemons

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup capers

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Mix the flour, salt, and pepper on a large plate. Wash and trim the chicken breasts. Pound them flat in a plastic freezer bag. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour and fry in the skillet until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. When golden brown add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and capers and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.

To make the sauce, in same skillet, add the butter and flour and mix to make a roux. Cook until a good sauce consistency and then pour over the chicken and serve. Makes 4 servings.