Spice market: capers

Until two years ago, the only capers I had seen came in a jar. But on a trip to Israel, a friend showed me a caper bush growing wild near her house. I probably wouldn't recognise the bush again if I saw it, because, to my untrained eye, it looked like almost any other bush - even the edible flower bud didn't look that distinctive.

Unfortunately, I missed out on my one opportunity to eat a raw caper, so I've only tasted them after they've been turned into a condiment. The most common way to preserve capers is by pickling them but they can also be salted. And although the caper is a fairly common ingredient, the fruit of the plant, called the caper berry (below), which is preserved the same way, is not as well known.

Small, tender capers are considered superior to the larger ones, which have a rougher texture.

The tart saltiness of capers (and caper berries) is good for cleansing the palate of fatty foods, such as charcuterie. Capers add a sharp note to certain sauces, such as tartar and salsa verde. I love them in a savoury version of beurre noisette, which is one of the easiest sauces to make. Melt butter in a skillet and cook it until it turns brown and smells nutty (it will splatter a lot, so take care). Add some small capers, chopped fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice, then serve with cooked fish, sweetbreads or calves brains that have been dipped in seasoned flour and pan-fried.