« English Asparagus | Main | The Greasy Spoon's Lobster Thermidor »

Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Capers

Capers

Thinking about what on earth I was going to write about for today's post, I opened my storecupboard to be greeted by a jar of salted capers winking up at me cheekily. It occurred to me that I didn't really know what capers were- okay, we all buy them in little tubs, or salted and in glass jars, but I bet many people out there couldn't say where they come from.

So, I did some research. The caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a perennial spiny shrub that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and big white to pinkish-white flowers. The capers that we buy in the shops are the pickled bud of this plant. The bush is native to the Mediterranean region, growing wild on walls or in rocky coastal areas.

A classic British dish is Mutton with Caper Sauce. My dear ol' grandma used to eat mutton. It disappeared from the shops in the '70's, when lamb took off. Remember all those ads for New Zealand lamb?

But a properly cooked mutton is a noble old thing, indeed. To make caper sauce, make a white sauce in the usual way- (if you remember, a roux of butter and flour, with added milk, stock, and salt and pepper, to make a smooth sauce). Add a handful of capers, and adjust the seasoning, Make sure that the flour is cooked properly, and serve with the mutton.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2632645/29275068

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Capers:

Comments

Oh,chicken teriyaki! I am interested in the food culture of your country so that you are so.And I support your site. If there is time, please come in my site. From Japan
http://food-soybean.blogspot.com/

Post a comment

If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In

Recipes

Britblog

  • BritBlog Needs You!

Blogged.com Rating

London Bloggers

Blog powered by TypePad
Member since 09/2007