A thrilling caper

There is a jar of capers in the fridge.

This is not a regular occurrence, for all that we are pretentious and unbearable foodies. Capers - those succulent, savoury, slightly spicy little flowers that come in jars - are not a staple of the grocery cupboard, whatever Nigella would have us believe. But there is, for me, something homely and comforting about capers. They were something my mother stocked and seemed to use with alarming regularity given that I never noticed them in my childhood meals. If I had, I would probably have called them 'funny green things' and carefully picked them out.

I only ever seem to use them, when we have them, in bolognese, or puttanesca, or something else tomato based that needs an extra tang.  Once, very daringly, I attempted tartar sauce. It's not something I would recommend as an experience - I ended up covered in a lumpy gloop that smelt like gherkins and down a pretty expensive group of ingredients. Buy the tartar sauce, if you, like me, wouldn't dream of eating fried fish without it. Much like puff pastry and barbecue sauce, it is proof that there are some things with which man was simply not meant to meddle.

But the caper deserves, I feel, a little more than to be knocked about the head by the beefy tomato. So I tried out something new.

This week, the capers were fried in a knob of butter alongside two mackerel fillets, which were first lightly patted with seasoned flour. I was pretty smug about the whole thing, not least because J made some chips to go along with it and with minted mushy peas you've got a meal fit for anyone.

More capers last night, with a Nigel Slater inspired pasta recipe. I say inspired, because much like Mr Slater, I don't really follow recipes and if I don't change at least one thing in it because I can't find it or I can't afford it or I think I'm cleverer than the writer then it's probably a hot day in Niflheim.

Pasta with Capers

Put some pasta on to boil in oiled, salted water. Nigel recommends capelletti, but I, because I am a savage and it's half price at Morrisons, found rigatoni worked equally well.

Stick a teaspoon and a half of capers, one crushed garlic clove, a teaspoon of mustard and a large handful of basil leaves in a food processor. If you, like me, have aphids living on your basil, for god's sake wash it first.

Turn the processor on and slowly pour in about two tablespoons of olive oil while it whizzes until you end up with a thick sauce. Pour in about 150 ml of cream, some salt and pepper, and whizz again.

Drain your pasta, put it back in the pan, and stir in the sauce. Serve with a large helping of Mark Ruffalo being exasperated over magical crime in 'Now You See Me', which is, incidentally, a lot of fun.

Probably improved with a large glass of white wine.