Sifnos is famous for high-quality capers, which are a common ingredient in the local cuisine. Caper berries are generally preserved in one of three ways: pickled, packed with sea salt, and sundried. Different recipes call for different types of preserved capers, and there are some that treat capers as their main ingredient, like caper fritters and caper stifado (a stew-like dish with onions and tomato).

There are different versions of what we call kaparosalata, or caper salad, in Greece, particularly on the Cyclades. Usually it’s more like a dip made of creamed capers with boiled potato, onions and oil. The kaparosalata on the island of Sifnos, however, is more akin to a chutney, and I absolutely love it. It’s normally made with sundried capers, but since they are difficult to get abroad, I have adapted the recipe using the more readily available pickled capers. It pairs perfectly with the chickpea fritters. If you add a fresh tomato salad drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with oregano, you’ve got the quintessential Greek island summer meal. Kali orexi! (Bon appétit!)

Yields about 60 pieces

For the Chickpea Fritters

500 gr dried chickpeas
3 large red onions chopped
670 gr boiled potatoes, peeled and cooled
10 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tsp dried marjoram
9 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt
Black pepper
Frying oil

Sifneiki Kaparosalata (Sifnos-Style Caper Salad)

150 gr capers
4 large red onions cut in half and then sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
100 ml red wine vinegar
5 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
245 ml vinsanto wine from Santorini (PDO) – A naturally sweet wine from sundried grapes (may be substituted with a sweet Marsala or Madeira wine)
Salt and pepper

For the Sifnos-Style Chickpea Fritters

Step One

Soak chickpeas for about 20 hours (after which they should be easy to bite and eat).

Step Two

Grind the chickpeas in a food processor until pulverized into a very fine crumble. Empty the minced chickpeas in a large bowl.

Step Three

Once the boiled potatoes have cooled down, mash them well with a fork or potato masher. Add them to the minced chickpeas along with the onions and herbs and knead. If you are planning to freeze half of it, it is better to do so before you season with salt. Add salt and pepper to taste and knead well. Cover and place in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Step Four

Remove from fridge and shape into balls (about 30 gr each) then press down to shape them into a puck-like shape.

Step Five

Place a deep skillet on high heat and add plenty of frying oil (I use sunflower oil). Once hot start placing the chickpea patties in the oil, frying them for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden (you will need to play with the intensity of heat to keep them from burning). Place on kitchen towels to drain and serve.

*I usually make a big batch of this recipe and freeze half of it for future use (to use the frozen mixture, let it come to room temperature, remove any excess water and then add seasoning).

For the Sifneiki Kaparosalata (Sifnos-Style Caper Salad)

Step One

Drain the capers from the brine and desalt them by soaking them in water for a couple of hours, changing the water 2-3 times in the process.

Step Two

Place a large deep skillet on medium high heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add salt, pepper, the allspice balls and bay leaves and stir.

Add in the drained capers and stir for a couple of minutes until most of the liquid from the onions has evaporated. Add in the vinegar and stir until most of the liquid is again gone. Now bring the heat down to medium and add in the wine, mix and simmer for about 40-45 minutes at low heat, until the liquid is gone and the onions look caramelized.

Step Three

Adjust seasoning if necessary and leave it to cool. The final result can be placed in sterilized jars and preserved in the fridge for several months.