Spanish Queso Relleno de Alcaparrones are just one of the many delightful “finger foods” the Spanish people sometimes enjoy for their lunch, or mid-day meal. A traditional Spanish lunch often consisted of 2, 3, or several “tapas” – appetizers, cold or warm, of various types and textures. This one is a snap to prepare, and the flavor is outstanding, compared to the small effort it takes to prepare.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Xufanc)
Spanish Queso Relleno de Alcaparrones Recipe-
Ingredients:
- 1 jar whole caperberries with stems on
- Spanish Mahón cheese
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Premium quality, aged Spanish sherry vinegar
Directions:
- Using a very sharp, thin blade knife, carefully slit open each caperberry, starting at the base of the stem, and opening around the circumference until the caperberry can be spread wide open. Be sure to leave the stem intact—this will be the tapa treat’s handle.
- Using a very small spoon, carefully remove all the ribs and seeds.
- Make tiny balls of the Mahón cheese, formed just the right size to fill the berry’s cavity, insert, then fold the two sided up gently until the caperberry flesh is fit and held in place by the cheese.
- Sprinkle each caperberry with a little vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve your Spanish Queso Relleno de Alcaparrones with a big smile on your face.
Note: This recipe is just one of many, taken from our Spanish Cuisine pages.
Are caperberries just big capers? Just curious, lol, but this looks like a tasty snack.
Linda, they both come from the caper bush, but capers are the bud which forms into the bush’s flowers, while caperberries are the fruit that forms from the original bud.
Spanish tapas are interesting to me. I would think these cheese stuffed caperberries would go well on a picnic with some good wine. You would of course want a rather bold flavored wine to stand up to the salty snack, though.
I agree, Bob. I’ve tried them with a strong, rich, aged chardonnay, and also with a good Zinfandel. Both worked well for my pallet.
I been wanting to look into those Spanish tapas. This looks like a good one to try. Thanks for the links, too. I haven’t seen caperberries sold around here locally.
Hey Bo, Tapas are a wonderful area of ethnic foods to explore. We have quite a few of them here on this site. And you are welcome for the link, once you try the caperberries with cheese recipe, come back and let us know what you think, ok?
Interesting, these would make for a nice appetizer. I also want to look further into those Spanish Tapas, something new to me. I love to explore new ethnic foods!
Always enjoy hearing from you, Margo, your zeal for ethnic food adventures is obvious and appreciated here!
I could where this would be good depending on the cheese you use. A good cheese with a wow flavor would make this pop.
Bo you are right – the caperberries are quite salty, so choosing the right cheese is important. This one in the recipe works great, but I’m sure many others would, too.
Found your site doing a Google search for those Spanish tapas. Love it here! This one sounds good, but I am really digging those special Spanish hams and cheeses tapas. I’ll be back, trust me!
Glad you found us, Marek – and do enjoy those Spanish hams – they are great!
Interesting sounding – the caperberries look like just huge capers … do they taste like capers? If so, I think this would be a great snack food.
I’m also going to look into those Spanish “tapas” ….. might make for a fun meal during a theme party for guests?
Janet, yes, caperberries are larger cousins in the caper family, and they taste very much the same. And enjoy getting into all the delicious Spanish Tapas!