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Salted capers: the essential ingredient.
The beef was a bit chewy and thick and still retained some chill from the fridge. The tuna mayonnaise was slightly too runny.
The restaurant was a Melbourne icon, the grill room at Grossi Florentino (although one dish alone made up for everything and will be elaborated upon on another day). It took my mind back to other more delicate vitello tonnato (veal with tuna mayonnaise) and I thought it would be left at that.
The next day when I was choosing between a bargain bucket-sized jar of capers or a jam jar-sized plastic vessel my memory was re-ignited. The shop, The Essential Ingredient in Prahran, provided a postcard that told me more about these strange buds that are usually preserved in brine.
And, having been stuck eating out for most of the week rather than cooking I realised capers should be my entry to Weekend Herb Blogging. This weekend Kalyn’s Kitchen has passed the hosting mantle to Anna’s Cool Finds in California.
We chose the salted variety of caper.
According to the postcard, the best ones are small, crunchy and piquant. They should not be bitter. And to dilute saltiness they can be soaked in milk.
So what? What I spotted on the card is that a classic use is in vitello tonnato.
The caper bush is native to the mediterranean and it bears fleshy leaves and big pink-white flowers (and yes, Wikipedia is my source). There isn’t too much to add.
First I roasted a rolled cut of veal at a low temperature, to about 110C until, according to my meat thermometer, it was pink. I cooled the veal and sliced it thin with an irresponsibly sharp knife.
Next came the home made mayonnaise; two eggs yolks,mustard, salt and pepper and vegetable and oil drizzled through a erratic and violent hand whisk.
The Magimix takes a tin of tuna, several anchovies, a handful of capers, chopped flat leaf parsley, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and the mayonnaise. I adjust to taste.
My twist to the concoction was the thin slices of pink veal are piled with a celeriac ( as a change from kohlrabi) and spilled over with the tuna mayonnaise.
Rustic, yes, but good.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Great photo! I’ve never managed to find the salted capers anywhere here and you know how I’m a fiend to try new ingredients. I have no question I’d love them. This sounds fantastic!
What a dream! Sounds amazingly complex. I’ve never seen salted capers in the San Francisco bay area, but then I never looked, but I will now! Thanks for joining WHB!
Kalyn/Anna
I’ve only recently started seeing the salted ones in Australlia. My only complaint is that sometimes the big salt grains have too much crunch and make me think I’m eating grit or crunchy bones.
Unfortunately I know nothing about capers (whether they be salted or brined), but that is a brilliant photo!
Ellie, thanks. Ive been feeling that my photos have been off recently although I suspect the credit goes to my Ricoh’s amazing macro and good light. Have you sorted your computer?
Ah, crunchy salt grains. I’ve always followed Marcela Hazan’s advice and soaked them in water first, I think you’re meant to get rid of the salt before using. We’re almost doing that weird dual posting thing again.There is a gummy shark and burnt butter sauce with capers post waitng in the wings.
Neil,
I often thought that they were meant to be soaked. I will pass that on to the household caper fiend.
The vitello tonnato at enoteca sileno was pretty bad
Tony, what was wrong with it? It really annoys me when it is straight out of the fridge.