Capers are the preserved unopened flower buds of a prickly shrub native to the Mediterranean. The shrubs thrive on rocky cliffs of arid regions, including southern France and Sicily, where they are farmed as a cash crop. Salted capers are hand-harvested then cured and aged in sea salt. This process preserves the intense floral tones, herbal flavor, and firm texture of the buds. Brined capers are soaked in saltwater, then packed in brine or a mixture of brine and vinegar, which dulls the flavor. The salted capers tend to be a little more expensive, but are hand-harvested and worth every penny. While working for Epicurious television, I was able to travel to Italy to do a story on salted capers. Standing on the rocky hillside of an island, looking out over the sun-drenched Mediterranean, watching the peasant women harvesting the capers by hand while chattering in their local dialect, was pure poetry. When I returned to the States, I was reviewing the rough cut, which is a very basic edit of footage, a visual rough draft. A colleague who spoke Italian interrupted, “Wait a minute, play that back.” Turned out the pleasant chatter was not as idyllic as the scenery. One of the women was talking about her son-in-law, whom she called a worthless bastard and car thief. We decided to replace their conversation with a little music.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the flour in a shallow dish. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper; stir with a fork to combine. Lightly season the trout with salt and pepper. (If you prefer not to have your dinner looking at you while you eat it, snip off the fish heads with a pair of kitchen shears.) Dredge both sides of the trout in flour, shaking gently to remove the excess.
Step 2
Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the trout to the skillet, skin side up. Cook until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until the fish is firm, an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 3
Remove the trout to a warm serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Step 4
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice, and capers. Return to the heat if necessary to brown the butter, stirring with a wooden spoon to release the brown bits in the bottom of the skillet, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the pan sauce over the trout and serve immediately.
