I like them in egg salad and tuna salad. On salmon. On deviled eggs. I will toss a few into a green salad.

Eileen

For brunch, I like a few in scrambled eggs with salmon and a bit of onion.

/tricia

We love this recipe from Stacey , who I miss very, very much!

Pork Medallions With Olive �caper Sauce Stacy

1 pound pork tenderloin -- trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil -- divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup coarsely pitted -- Chopped
-kalamata olives
2 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoon fresh flat leaf -- Chopped
-parsley

Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2
sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to � inch thickness using
a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and
pepper.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place
flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge pork in flour, turning to coat; shake
off excess flour.
Heat 1 1/2 tsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add
half of pork, and cook for 2 min on each side or until pork is done.
Remove pork from pan and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining
olive oil and pork.
Return pork to pan. Add wine and broth, bring to a boil. Stir in olives
and capers; cook 4 min. Sprinkle with parsley.
4 servings (2 pork medallions and 2 tbsp sauce each)

This one from Sharon CB , who I also miss a lot :( is different and very, very tasty.

Konigsberger Klopse (Poached Meatballs In Lemon & Caper Sauce.)

1/2 Lb finely ground veal (225 grams)
1/2 Lb finely ground lean pork (225 grams)
1 large onion - peeled and finely chopped
8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped + 2 finely chopped later
2 Tbl capers finely chopped + 1 TBS whole
-capers later for the sauce
1 lg egg, beaten
3 Slice firm homemade style white bread, crusts removed, soaked in water
juice of 1/2 lemon - or juice of whole
-lemon if it is very small
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves (aromatic spice cloves)
1/2 Tbl oil for frying onion
2 Tbl flour mixed with water
salt & freshly ground pepper

1. Saute onion gently until golden and put aside.

2. Mix the two ground meats with 8 of the chopped anchovies, 2 TBS chopped capers, beaten egg and the soaked bread which has been squeezed dry. Then mix in the cooled fried onion and some salt and pepper.

3. In a wide saucepan put 3 3/4 cups of water and add some salt, the lemon juice, bay leaves and cloves. Bring to the boil.
4. Meanwhile form large meatballs with hands and place on a plate - about 14 meatballs. If water boils, turn off until all meatballs are formed.

5. Place the meatballs in the hot water and bring it slowly back to the boil then lower heat and let simmer gently for 30 minutes. Turn meatballs once or twice during this time.

6. When cooked, remove meatballs with slotted spoon to a casserole and keep warm. Mix flour and cold water to a paste and add to the cooking water, stirring to thicken. Add the last two anchovies, chopped fine and 1 TBS whole capers. Bring to the boil and simmer 2 - 3 minutes.

7. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve with boiled potatoes and green beans. I actually had more sauce than what appears here in the photo. I kept the rest in the pot on the stove for keeping hot.
Note: Go easy on the lemon juice if it is a large lemon. Don't use too much.

SharonCb

This one is really, really good but I don't seem to have a source....

Shrimp With Capers, Black Olives And Dill

1/4 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
some olive oil
1 Lb of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbl of fresh lemon juice
2 Tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbl chopped fresh dill
2 Clove of garlic, minced
the green parts of 2 scallions, chopped
1 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbl of grated lemon zest
2 Tbl of capers, rinsed
1/4 cup sliced black olives
splash of white wine
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, mix the extra-virgin olive oil, the herbs, capers and mustard and stir until blended. Adjust flavouring according to your taste, salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.

2. Place a large skillet on your stovetop and bring to a medium-high heat. Season your shrimp with salt and pepper and add a couple of turns of olive oil and quickly saute until just pink. Remove your shrimp with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. Deglaze your skillet with a splash of wine and after you�ve loosened up any brown bits, add your shrimp back into the skillet along with the caper and dill sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir to warm the sauce through and finish cooking the shrimp.
4. Serve warm or room temperature as an appetizer, sprinkle some chopped fresh dill, with a slice of lemon, crusty bread and a fruity wine to hold up to the acidity in the sauce.

And of course one of my all time pasta dishes....

Pasta Puttanesca

1 pound spaghetti -- linguine or other
-thin pasta
2 Cans best grade Italian plum
-tomatoes
1/4 cup best quality olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to
-taste)
1/2 cup black olives -- Sliced
1/4 cup capers -- drained
4 garlic cloves -- minced
8 anchovy fillets -- chopped
-coarsely (or less)
1/2 cup Italian parsley -- chopped

Drain the tomatoes and cut in half. Combine the tomatoes and olive
oil in a skillet and bring to a boil. Keep the sauce at a boil and add
all remaining ingredients except pasta, stirring as you add. Reduce
heat and simmer until the sauce has reached a consistency you like.

Meanwhile bring 4 quarts salted water to the boil. Cook pasta until
tender but still firm. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve immediately
with fresh grated parmesan.

In chicken salad, in tartar sauce

Chicken Marbella uses capers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silver Palate Chicken Marbella

Great, Great, GREAT!!
Keep'em coming, I'm swamped at work, but will copy and try all!

Like Linda, I use them in chicken salad and tartar sauce but also in pasta salad. My favorite use for them is with baked salmon, as Eileen suggested:

Choose a large piece of salmon and put it in a pan that it more or less fits. Use more than one piece if making this for several people, but put the salmon in one layer, skin side down. Sprinkle the salmon with white pepper, dill (fresh or dried), lemon juice, and capers. Dot with butter, cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. If the salmon is very thick, it might take a few minutes longer. If you do not have lemon juice, you can use the liquid from the capers. Do NOT add salt to the fish, as the capers will provide all the salt you need.

I forget where I got this recipe - possibly from the Frugal Gourmet, but I've been making it for more than 20 years. The leftovers make a very good salmon salad - just add mayo and perhaps a few more capers and a bit of lemon juice. If you want, you can add chopped tomatoes and finely chopped green onion to the salad as well.

I have also used capers in Caesar salad dressing - but that was when I got anchovies that were wrapped around capers. You don't need more than four large capers in one recipe of Caesar salad dressing.

Lars

I love capers! I'll definitely be trying a few of these recipes, too! In the meantime here are a couple that we like.

Fillet of Sole with Lemon-Caper Butter and Seared Spinach
Source: Suzanne Somers� Eat Great, Lose Weight

1 T olive oil
2 large sole fillets
1/4 c chicken broth
1 T butter
2 T drained capers
2 T fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus additional for garnish
Juice from 1-1/2 lemons

Heat a saut� pan large enough for both pieces of fish. Add olive oil and then the fish, saut� about 3 minutes per side. Remove fish and keep warm. With the heat still on high, add the chicken broth and reduce by half. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter until well combined. Stir in the capers, parsley and half the lemon juice. Set aside.

Seared Spinach

1 T olive oil, divided
1 lb fresh spinach, torn, rinsed and spun dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tsp of the olive oil, then the spinach. Saute for about a minute until just wilted. Sprinkle with Salt & pepper. Arrange on two plates.

Return the pan with the caper sauce to medium heat. Place the fish back in the pan to reheat, spooning sauce over the fish. Place a fillet on top of the spinach on each plate, drizzle with remaining sauce and olive oil. Garnish with remaining parsley.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Serves:4 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra\-virgin olive oil 1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1\-inch pieces ( 3 large breasts) Salt and pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 shallots, chopped 2 tablespoons all\-purpose flour 1/2 cup white wine 1 lemon, juiced 1 cup chicken broth or stock 3 tablespoons capers, drained 1/2 cup flat\-leaf parsley, chopped 1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish Directions Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra\-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra\-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives. Linda

We sometimes use them in potato salad, and I put them on green salads just because.

Serve them in Steak Tartar or with Carpaccio.

Just so happens I'm making Puttanesca tonight.

I love this salad:

Caper Salad 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head Boston lettuce, cleaned
2 tablespoons capers
Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a resealable plastic container. Put the lid on the container and shake until contents are well combined. Or use stick blender.
Break the lettuce into leaves and place on 4 plates. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with capers.

I've got a 25.4 oz. jar of tiny capers in the fridge and use multipe jars each year. I use them in most of the ways listed above. I make this caponata recipe all year long but substitute canned diced tomatoes for the fresh ones in the winter and spring months.

CAPONATA

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups diced eggplant (3/8" cubes), about 1 medium
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 cup celery in 1/4 " slices
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
3 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
12 small stuffed green olives, sliced into thirds
12 black olives, pitted and sliced into thirds
1/4 cup small capers, drained
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup lightly packed minced parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the eggplant and saute several minutes until partially soft. Add the onions, celery, Tomatoes and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add the remaining ingredients, and toss lightly. Chill until ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes: Chopped anchovies can also be added. Diced zucchini can be substituted for half of the eggplant. Diced yellow peppers make a colorful addition.

We prefer this tuna salad to mayo-dressed ones. No recipe but it's tuna, white kidney beans, chopped red onion, parsley, tomatoes, black olives and capers, dressed with a basalmic or wine vinegar and olive oil dressing.

We like a mix of caramelized onions, slivers of lox and capers both as an omelet filling or as a pasta topping.

Here are a couple of our favs....

Orzo Salad with Feta, Olives and Bell Peppers
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
12 ounces orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups crumbled seasoned feta cheese (such as basil and tomato; about 6 ounces)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add crumbled feta cheese, chopped bell peppers, Kalamata olives, green onions and capers.
Combine lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard and cumin in small bowl. Gradually whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Add dressing to orzo mixture and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Garnish salad with pine nuts; serve.
****************************************************
MUSTARD CHICKEN AND ORZO CASSEROLE WITH DILL AND CAPERS

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

3 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard
3 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup sour cream
6 celery ribs, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
Special equipment: a 2 1/2- to 3-quart flameproof gratin dish or shallow casserole dish (1 1/2 to 2 inches deep; not glass)

Bring broth to a simmer in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add chicken and simmer very gently, turning once, 6 minutes total. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool and keep broth warm, partially covered.
Melt butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then add flour and cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes. Add warm broth all at once, whisking, and simmer gently, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in cream and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mustards, capers, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and dill (to taste).
Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl and stir in sour cream to make topping.
Shred chicken with your fingers and stir together with remaining sauce in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 350�F.
Cook celery in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking and return cooking water to a boil. Drain celery in a colander and add to chicken mixture. Cook orzo in same boiling water until just tender, then drain in a sieve.
Stir orzo into chicken mixture, then transfer mixture to gratin dish, spreading evenly. Spoon sour cream topping over top and spread evenly. Bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until heated through and sauce is bubbling around edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
Preheat broiler.
Remove foil from dish and broil about 3 inches from heat until top is speckled with brown spots, 3 to 5 minutes.

This is one of my favorite salads especially now with garden tomatoes.

Panzanella

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saut� pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

Barefoot Contessa

You all ROCK! There's plenty here to keep DH happy!

However one question remains...How do I CRISP capers?

Toss them in a little corn flour and fry in olive oil for about 3 minutes until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.

For me capers are an indispensable part of egg salad, tuna salad, and deviled eggs. Additionally I will make a remoulade sauce that I slather on fish before broiling it, or use as a shrimp dipping sauce.

Remoulade Sauce
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 2 Tbsp chopped capers
* 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried parsley)
* 1 tsp crushed garlic
* 1 pinch of dried tarragon
* 1 1/2 tsp Anchovy paste
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika (for color)

Also this past weekend I made a smoked salmon spread as an appetizer:

Smoked Salmon Spread
8 oz Nova Smoked salmon
6 oz cream cheese
3 green onions
1 Tbsp capers

Method: Puree ingredients. Serve.

Haven't been in a warehouse store in years. One time bought a BIG jar of capers... extremely good price, maybe half a GALLON?? Got mocked by my sister... that's what sisters are supposed to do, I guess. I rejarred them into the smallest canning jar available... 1/4 pint, maybe?? No mockinig when there was a jar in basket of holiday goodies!!

I saw an episode of Chopped where they had to use Caper Berries. They were much larger, more like the size of an olive, than what I usually get when I get a jar of capers. They had a stem, too. Other than what I could see, what exactly is the difference between capers and caper berries?

Sally

I forgot this one, which is a filling I use for phyllo triangles, empanadas, etc. Although this is the original recipe from some forgotten cookbook or magazine, I usually add one or more of these flavorings t o taste: cumin, chili powder, chopped chiles, ground coriander and dry sherry.

PICADILLO FILLING

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 green peppers and 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. ground lean beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup green olives with pimientos, sliced
1/2 cup capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Saute peppers, onions and beef. Add remaining ingredients except olives and capers. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 min. Add olives and capers and simmer another 10 minutes. Makes 6 cups.

They are filled with crunchy seeds like pickeled peppers. They have a softer texture, because they are meatier, I think. and the flavor is softer as well. I love them.

BTW, I fry well drained, dried in a paper towel, capers in just a shallow amount of oil until they open like flowers. Lovely. Use the same oil to fry sage leaves and add both to roasted squash. Heaven. (But I think squash and sweet potatoes are too sweet w/o savory bits. No brown sugar or maple syrup for me!)

The above description was about caper berries. Another post got there 1st!

They're essential in salade nicoise which is a fancy way of saying green salad with tuna, capers, olives, artichokes. I make mine with a very mustardy vinaigrette and we eat it on rolls so it's like pan bagnat. I used to get big jars at Costco but they don't stock them any more.

I also like capers with lemon over fish as several have already noted. Swordfish with lemon-caper sauce is wonderful.

Cheryl

Capers mixed into creme fraiche makes a nice sauce to put on pasta as an accompaniment to a pork steak.

Capers are the immature buds and caper berries are the mature fruits. Caper berries are eaten like olives. Try a caper berry or two instead of olives in a martini.

I use Spanish Olives by Goya brand called Alcaparrado(mix of Capers Pimientos and Manzanilla olives)make sure you buy the pitted ones...I roughly chop and add to my Spanish Rice it give the rice a great flavor. I too use these olives in Picadillo & Arroz Gaundules

Easy, tasty, and attractive dish: chicken with capers and corn.

Use skinless deboned thighs (tastier) or boneless skinless chicken breast (prettier). Heat pan to as hot as you can, add oil, brown chicken in batches without cooking them through then set aside, also cook some diced onion or shallots and minced garlic and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, pour out oil, arrange chicken pieces in pan. Add corn kernels, can be fresh, canned or frozen. Mix in onions, shallots and garlic. Add a dairy liquid, which can be half and half, cream, or whole milk, with or without chicken stock. If you're using thinner liquids like stock and whole milk, include some flour or cornstarch to thicken; if you're using half and half or cream, no need for a thickener. I expect that soy milk or other non-dairy alternative would work too. No wine, as it risks curdling the dairy. The chicken pieces should be mostly covered. Whatever herbs and level of salt/pepper you like. When liquid simmers, reduce heat to med-low and braise, uncovered, for an hour. Half an hour into that, add capers and some of their liquid.

Or...you can stand in front of the fridge, with a fishing spoon, eating them out of the jar.;-) I love Capers and Caper Berries!

I've copied and saved all these recipes. Thank you all!

Thanks for the caponata recipe, ruthanna. I'll be making your style of tuna salad soon too.

Jim

I don't have a recipe, but was going to try to duplicate a very nice dipping sauce we recently encountered at one of the Turkish restaurants here in the Bay Area.

It was Turkish EVOO (which was a little on the peppery side) mixed with garlic, green Turkish olives, and capers, all chopped together. Fabulous with their very fresh, fine-grained sweet bread.

I haven't made this, but I am considering it. I prefer seafood for my Eggs Benedict, and this is just the way to make the sauce for it. It should also be good with the seafood minus the eggs :)

Dill-Caper Hollandaise Sauce

This is an easy variation of the classic Hollandaise Sauce recipe, but it provides a really delicious blend of flavors. Enjoy this sauce over a Seafood Benedict or a Seafood Omelet. I especially like this dill-caper variation with wild salmon, halibut and cod.

Preparation time: 20 minutes. Serves: 6-8.

Ingredients:
2 cups Hollandaise Sauce
3 tablespoon fresh, chopped dill
4 tablespoons finely chopped capers

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients and serve
(http://real-restaurant-recipes.com/)

Here is a link that might be useful: the recipe file

You don't need recipes for capers. Just throw some in when you're deglazing your pan with some wine or lemon after cooking some pork chops, chicken, or steak. Add them to any tomato sauce. Add them to your pizza. To your meatloaf. To your salad. To your lentil and rice dishes. Or to your eggs. Use them like salt - i.e. like a condiment or flavoring to anything else you do.