Crispy Fried Capers

I love fried capers. If we're being honest, I love them more than their un-fried brethren. Raw capers are pickled and tend to have a briny, overpowering flavor. A few too many in a pasta carbonara, and the subtler flavors of the dish are washed away in a sea of acid. 

As if by magic, just a few minutes in hot oil transforms these little guys into something special. Now the persistent vinegar flavor is calmed and contained by the crispy outer shell. Every bud packs a powerful explosion of salt and vinegar-y goodness, perfect for lightening creamy white wine-based dishes and seafood of all kinds. You can use them to brighten up the flavors in steak tartare, or throw 'em on top of a fresh salad. We've used them before, in our smoked salmon Mother's Day brunch. 

These are so easy to make, and their addition to any classic dish is not easily forgotten. One of the greatest lessons of my career thus far is that simplicity often goes farther than one might think. In the words of my mentors: "Don't overthink it, stupid."

So here it is, nice and simple. 

Crispy Fried Capers
When I use fried capers, I usually only use a few pinches, so for this recipe we are using an 1/8th cup. You can fry as many as you would like as long as they are broken up into small batches.

• 1/8 cup capers
• 1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil (enough to coat a small frying pan)

Dry your capers with a paper towel and set aside.

Heat oil on medium-high heat. I used a smaller frying pan to do this, but a deep fryer at 350º will also work.

Drop in capers - watch the splatter! Fry for 2-3 minutes until they have crisped up and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.


That's it! Easy right? On this particular day, I added my crispy fried capers to some seared cod sandwiches. A squeeze of lemon and we're good to go!

Fish 'n Cheese: Seared Salmon and Pepper Chèvre

Fish and cheese is an often under-appreciated combination. Sure, you'll throw some on a tuna sandwich, but when was the last time you sprinkled parmesan on your baked stuffed whitefish? If such a combination is new for you, we have just the recipe to get you started. This summery pasta dish combines the crispy seared salmon with creamy goat cheese, all on top of some more cheesy pasta. Tomatoes, spinach, and herbs lend texture and the flavors are enhanced with a squeeze of lemon juice at the finish. A crowd pleaser for sure!

Fish 'n Cheese: Seared Salmon and Pepper Chèvre

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp garlic shallot mix
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 handfuls raw spinach
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• 8 oz flat pasta
• 1/2 cup pasta water
• 1/2 cup cream
• 3/4 cup aged manchego cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz goat cheese (we used Sgt. Pepper from Cypress Grove Chevre, a peppery cheese from one of our favorite companies.)
• squeeze of lemon

Cook pasta and reserve water. 

Preheat oven to 500° F

Season raw salmon with salt and pepper.

Heat saute pan on medium high heat with 2 tbsp oil until smoking. Place salmon skin side down and cook until skin is evenly dark brown and crispy. 2/3 of the salmon will have changed color, which is how you know you can flip it. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes. 

Heat a second saute pan with 2 tbsp oil until smoking. Add garlic-shallot mix and spinach. Once spinach has wilted, add white wine and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Add herbs and cooked pasta. Toss and add cream, parmesan cheese, and manchego cheese. Add tomatoes, then salt, pepper to taste.

Top salmon with a dollop of goat cheese and a squeeze of lemon. Garnish with herbs and parmesan cheese. 

Crispy Pork Belly + Creamy Black Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad

We're baaaaack!

We had a great month travelling around Boston, then California. We saw some great friends and family - and of course, we ate some great food. Hang tight, I'm working on a review of our favorites for all of you.

In the meantime, we want to share this pork and quinoa recipe with you. Quinoa is a very versatile grain-like ingredient, used often in salads or paired with a protein/veggie combo. You can even make quinoa smoothies! It's seen a surge in popularity in recent years, and the price has tripled due to high demand in the Western world. In fact, the UN recently named 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa. Our quinoa obsession is due in part to the food's numerous health benefits - it's full of lysine, calcium, phosphorous, and iron. As its popularity increases, however, concerns have sparked about the impact of increased demand on the availability of the crop to citizens of countries which grow it - Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, and others.

There are multiple varieties of quinoa, each with its own color and flavor. For this recipe, I used black quinoa simply because I had it on hand. The quinoa and sweet potato salad in this recipe is vegetarian friendly,  but we have some crispy pork belly to top the whole thing if you're so inclined.

Black Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad
Serves 3-4

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups light cream
• 1 cup black quinoa
• 1 Carrot
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 3 tbsp vegetable (or peanut or canola) oil
• Shaved romano or parmesan cheese (optional, but seriously who doesn't want cheese?)
• Salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut carrots and sweet potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Add maple syrup and toss until the vegetables are coated. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a baker's mat. The idea here is not to let the maple syrup ruin your baking sheet).
Add salt and pepper
Bake about 30 minutes until tender. Stab 'em with a fork to see if they're soft enough. Set aside.

While your vegetables are roasting, bring water to a boil and add quinoa. Remember cooking quinoa is like cooking rice, not pasta - if you add too much water you're going to have a soupy mess. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for at least 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the cooked carrots and sweet potatoes. Spread them out but don't stir or toss them until you see a little char on the bottom. Add light cream and bring to a simmer. Add quinoa and stir it up, then remove from the heat.


Crispy Pork Belly

• 2-3 tbsp vegetable (or peanut or canola) oil
• As many 1/4 inch thick or thinner strips of uncured pork belly as your heart desires 
• Salt + pepper

Note: If your pork belly is thicker than 1/4 inch, we highly recommend slicing it about as thick as  a nice thick-cut bacon strip. Thicker cuts of pork belly will need to be braised in the oven before frying to make the fat tender. By slicing it thinly you're effectively creating uncured bacon, which will fry up nicely. 

Season the pork bellies with salt and pepper. You can keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

In a medium skillet heat oil on medium-high head until smoking. Place the in the pan (be careful of oil splashes!) and cook about 2 minutes per side.

If you've worked with pork belly before, you can "cook by color" here - keep them in the pan until you get the color you want on each side. Personally, I like my pork medium-rare to medium. The days of overcooked pork for fear of trichinosis are behind us, people!



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