Other savory caper substitutes include salty feta cheese, chopped roasted nuts and fresh herbs, such as thyme. Flaky sea salt might be the simplest swap possible, added as a finishing touch to a plate.
Recipes That Use Capers
The most famous caper vehicle might be chicken piccata, the zippy pasta dish that balances capers with bright lemon juice, and smooths out the acid with plenty of butter and chicken stock. Both capers and lemon are a natural flavor match with seafood, as in this tilapia with caper sauce. Puttanesca, the wildly flavorful pasta sauce, doubles up on the brine with both olives and capers.
Caponata, the famous eggplant stew, is brightened with chopped capers. All sorts of fish, especially fatty fishes like salmon, taste great with capers, as does smoked fish like lox. Add a spoonful of capers to a mustard vinaigrette, or sprinkle them over a hearty dinner salad, like a Cobb or a Caesar. Like olives, you can also add a dish of capers to a snack board with cheese and crackers, or bake them into a savory bread.
Are capers good for you?
Capers themselves are very good for you. They’re rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and E, iron and calcium. They’re also low in cholesterol. However, pickled capers are very high in sodium, which is not healthy to consume in large quantities. To reduce the sodium levels of capers, rinse them to remove excess brine before cooking.
