Both preserved, intensely savoury ingredients—capers' acetic bite and briny depth reinforce anchovy's glutamate umami, creating the classic puttanesca triumvirate with tomatoes.
capers
+ Add to WorkbenchAbout this ingredient
The pickled or salt-cured flower buds of the caper bush — tiny explosions of salty, briny, faintly mustard-like flavor. They contribute both saltiness and acid…
37 pairings
Editorial
Flavor profile
Capers grow on a trailing shrub native to the Mediterranean and are harvested as unopened flower buds, then preserved in brine or dry salt. The characteristic flavor comes from glucocapparin, a glucosinolate that breaks down during pickling into isothiocyanates — the same family of compounds responsible for mustard and horseradish heat. Salt-packed capers are considered superior in flavor to brine-packed and should be rinsed and soaked briefly before use; brine-packed are more convenient and work well in most preparations. Caper berries are the larger fruit that forms after the flower opens — milder, less intensely briny, and better for eating whole. In classical French cooking, capers appear in sauce gribiche, sauce tartare, and beurre noisette for fish; in Italian cooking, they are foundational to puttanesca, vitello tonnato, and Sicilian caponata. The combination of capers, lemon, and butter is among the most versatile finishing sauces for pan-seared fish, chicken, and veal.
Pairings
Flavor relationships
Core pairings
anchovies
garlic
lemon, juice
mustard
salmon
anchovies
Both preserved, intensely savoury ingredients—capers' acetic bite and briny depth reinforce anchovy's glutamate umami, creating the classic puttanesca triumvirate with tomatoes.
garlic
Garlic adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
lemon, juice
Lemon brightens capers' vinegary brine while echoing their acidity, keeping the flavour clean and vibrant in sauces, dressings, and piccata.
mustard
Mustard adds warmth and aromatic contrast to capers's character, giving the pairing more dimension.
salmon
Salmon pairs with capers's character by adding clean marine umami while keeping the overall flavor delicate.
Garlic adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
lemon, juice
Lemon brightens capers' vinegary brine while echoing their acidity, keeping the flavour clean and vibrant in sauces, dressings, and piccata.
Mustard adds warmth and aromatic contrast to capers's character, giving the pairing more dimension.
Salmon pairs with capers's character by adding clean marine umami while keeping the overall flavor delicate.
Pairs well with
almonds
artichokes
arugula
basil
beans, green
butter sauces
celery
chicken
eggplant
eggs
fish
lamb
lime
marjoram
meats
olives
onions
oregano
parlsey, flat-leaf
pasta
pork
potatoes
poultry
rabbit
salads
sauces
shellfish
tapenade
tarragon
tomatoes
vinaigrettes
vinegar
almonds
Almonds adds toasted richness and gentle bitterness that make capers's character taste rounder and more substantial.
artichokes
Artichokes adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
arugula
Arugula adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
basil
Basil gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
beans, green
Beans, green adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
butter sauces
Butter sauces adds richness and carries the aromatic side of capers's character, making the pairing feel fuller and more cohesive.
celery
Celery adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
chicken
Chicken complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
eggplant
Eggplant adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
eggs
Eggs complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
fish
Fish pairs with capers's character by adding clean marine umami while keeping the overall flavor delicate.
lamb
Lamb reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
lime
Lime brings acidity that cuts through capers's character, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
marjoram
Marjoram gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
meats
Meats reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
olives
Olives adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
onions
Onions adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
oregano
Oregano gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
parlsey, flat-leaf
Parlsey, flat-leaf complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
pasta
Pasta gives capers's character a sturdy, comforting base that absorbs flavor and makes the pairing feel complete.
pork
Pork reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
potatoes
Potatoes gives capers's character a sturdy, comforting base that absorbs flavor and makes the pairing feel complete.
poultry
Poultry reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
rabbit
Rabbit reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
salads
Salads adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
sauces
Sauces complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
shellfish
Shellfish pairs with capers's character by adding clean marine umami while keeping the overall flavor delicate.
tapenade
Tapenade complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
tarragon
Tarragon gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
tomatoes
Tomatoes adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
vinaigrettes
Vinaigrettes complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
vinegar
Vinegar brings acidity that cuts through capers's character, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
Almonds adds toasted richness and gentle bitterness that make capers's character taste rounder and more substantial.
Artichokes adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
Arugula adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
Basil gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
Beans, green adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
butter sauces
Butter sauces adds richness and carries the aromatic side of capers's character, making the pairing feel fuller and more cohesive.
Celery adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
Chicken complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
Eggplant adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
Eggs complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
Fish pairs with capers's character by adding clean marine umami while keeping the overall flavor delicate.
Lamb reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
lime
Lime brings acidity that cuts through capers's character, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
Marjoram gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
meats
Meats reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
Olives adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
Onions adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
Oregano gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
parlsey, flat-leaf
Parlsey, flat-leaf complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
Pasta gives capers's character a sturdy, comforting base that absorbs flavor and makes the pairing feel complete.
Pork reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
Potatoes gives capers's character a sturdy, comforting base that absorbs flavor and makes the pairing feel complete.
poultry
Poultry reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
Rabbit reinforces the savory side of capers's character, building a deeper and more satisfying base.
salads
Salads adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
sauces
Sauces complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
Shellfish pairs with capers's character by adding clean marine umami while keeping the overall flavor delicate.
tapenade
Tapenade complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
Tarragon gives capers's character a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
Tomatoes adds vegetal sweetness or earthiness that gives capers's character more structure and balance.
vinaigrettes
Vinaigrettes complements capers by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to capers's character.
vinegar
Vinegar brings acidity that cuts through capers's character, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.