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Capers: What's Not to Love?

Posted by Lucy Baker, June 17, 2008 at 3:45 PM

©iStockphoto.com/Laborer

The olive and I have a loving and long standing relationship, but recently I've been having a little affair—a summer fling, if you will—with the caper. What started as a passing sprinkle atop a lox-laden bagel has become a downright infatuation: at the restaurant where I waitress I don't steal bread from the basket, or biscotti from the jar by the dessert wines; I sneak caper berries from the antipasti station.

Just what is a caper, anyway? Capers are the premature buds of a perennial bush native to the Mediterranean. Once picked, they are cured in a combination of salt and vinegar. Their briny flavor is similar to that of olives and anchovies, and the three ingredients are often used together in dishes such as puttanesca. If allowed to mature on the bush, caper buds grow into caper berries, which are much larger—about the size of cocktail olives—and can be served as a meze or antipasto on their own.

Given my obsession with these tiny morsels, I couldn't pass up the recipe for Grilled Chicken Thighs with Roasted Grape Tomatoes in the June issue of Cooking Light. The chicken thighs are marinated in a simple combination of olive oil, lemon, and garlic. Once grilled, they are served with a mound of roasted tomatoes stirred with parsley, more lemon, and a generous spoonful of capers. The results are fantastic: the smoky, meaty flavor of the chicken thighs (don't be tempted to substitute breasts!) is tempered by the sweet tomatoes and the tart, salty capers.

While I will prepare this dish again exactly as is, the tomato mixture would be equally good paired with a hearty fish, such as tuna.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Roasted Grape Tomatoes

- makes 4 servings -
Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Chicken:
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Tomatoes:
2 cups grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Prepare grill.

2. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes, turning the bag occasionally.

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done.

4. Preheat oven to 425°F.

5. To prepare tomatoes, combine tomatoes and 2 teaspoons oil in an 8-inch square baking dish; toss gently. Bake at 425°F for 18 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Combine the tomato mixture, parsley, and remaining ingredients, stirring gently. Serve with chicken.

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Tags: capers, chicken, Cooking Light, grilling, tomatoes