Fast Lane : Small jar of capers goes a long way

Font Size:

By Sarah Fritschner | Wednesday, December 13, 2006 1:16 AM CST | () comments

GANNETT PHOTO SERVICE For a tasty meal, combine a baked chicken breast with mushrooms, capers and squash.

Pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean bush come to us in jars labeled “capers.”

Sold from a shelf near olives and other pickles, these were one of the earliest gourmet ingredients carried by average supermarkets, probably because they never spoil and don’t take up much room.

In the 1950s, when small jars were sold in the grocery stores, American cooks added them to chicken salad and tuna salad. Capers are usually added to these dishes in small amounts — a tablespoon or so, mitigating the high cost.

The habitat and harvest of capers make them expensive. Smaller capers are supposed to be the finest, but larger ones can be chopped before using.

They need chopping because the flavor is so intense — a little sour from the pickling but also a strong, you might say bitter, flavor. It isn’t mouth puckering or unpleasant, but it is distinct.

In fact, it is quite pleasant. Capers are an essential part of the strong-flavored spread tapenade, and they are often added to pasta and seafood dishes.

The smaller the jar of capers, the more expensive it will be. If you love them, shop at specialty stores, which generally carry larger jars at comparatively lower cost. These stores often carry salt-cured capers that can be used the same way but need thorough rinsing first.

The following meal gets a flavor boost from capers, but will taste good without them.

Fast Lane list: Chicken, tarragon, mushrooms, summer squash, garlic, capers, potatoes.

Tarragon Baked Chicken Breast

If you remove the skin from the chicken, you might want to add a sprinkle of paprika to the top to make it more appetizing.

4 bone-in chicken breast halves, about 1½ pounds

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon (freshly ground) pepper

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and tarragon. Put chicken in the oven; reduce heat to 375. Cook about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with potatoes and savory mushrooms and squash.

Serve with mushroom and squash dish featuring capers that follows.

Serves four.

Savory Mushrooms and Squash

This dish goes more quickly if you buy the mushrooms sliced.

½ pound mushrooms, sliced

1 pound summer squash or zucchini (3 small)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon (freshly ground) black pepper

1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced if large

Slice mushrooms, if necessary. Trim squash. Slice them vertically, then slice them in half moons about one-fourth inch thick.

Heat oil and butter in a wide, heavy skillet over high heat. When the butter has melted and is very hot, add mushrooms and squash. Shake the pan to spread them evenly. Cook without stirring about three minutes, so that mushrooms begin to brown (if they smell as if they are burning, stir them).

Sprinkle the mixture with garlic, salt and pepper; stir. Again, let mixture sit without stirring two or three minutes. Keep the heat high. Drain capers (or rinse them well if they are packed in salt). If they are large (the size of a pencil eraser or larger), chop them coarsely. Add them to the skillet. Cook, stirring so the liquid can evaporate.

Serves four.

Fast Lane features menus for busy cooks. Recipes use a minimum of ingredients and allow express checkout at the supermarket. Flour, sugar, salt, pepper and oil or butter are presumed to be on hand.