Caper Flower And Caper Berry

             

If you enlarge the bottom photo, you will see the caper berry buds.  If the buds are not harvested, the buds will produce a beautiful flower.  When harvested, the bud (berry) is placed in a brine, bottled and sold for a culinary use as capers. 

Whole Roasted Branzino (Sea Bass) With Lemon Caper Sauce

Whole Roasted Branzino with 

Lemon Caper Sauce

Make the lemon caper sauce while the fish is in the oven, roasting.  

serves 2

1 whole Branzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass), about 1.5 pounds

1 large lemon, zested

2 teaspoons capers in salt

4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 Tablespoons butter (if you don't want to use butter, you can use extra virgin olive oil)

1 Tablespoon minced red onion

¼ cup white wine

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

salt and pepper 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.   Rinse fish, inside and out.  Pat dry.  Make 3 slits with a very sharp knife in the sides of the fish, about a quarter inch deep.  Place the fish on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment or foil.

Cut the zested lemon in half.  Juice one half and slice the other half into 3 slices. Rinse the salt from the capers.

Season the inside of the fish with some salt and pepper.  Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices and fresh thyme. Place the fish in the oven and roast for 12 minutes. 

While the fish is cooking, make the sauce:
In a small skillet, add the butter and onion.  Saute the onion gently until soft, about 4 - 5 minutes.  Add the white wine and cook for a few seconds, then add the lemon zest and the capers.  Cook on low for about 2 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and parsley, shut off the heat and cover with a lid to keep the sauce warm and moist. 

Turn on broiler and broil the fish for about a minute and a half, til it crisps up a little.

Pungent Parsley And Caper Sauce

Pungent Parsley And Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

1 ounce Italian or French bread, crusts removed

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, Champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, halved, green shoot removed
1 cup, tightly packed, flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon mint or basil leaves
2 tablespoons capers
1 hard-boiled egg yolk
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions:Combine the bread and vinegar, and toss together. Let sit for 10 minutes, then tear the bread into small pieces.
Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. Once it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the herbs to the processor, and pulse several times until contents are finely chopped. Add the bread, capers and egg yolk to the bowl, and turn on the processor for about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides, then turn on again and add the olive oil in a slow stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.