Roasted Capon Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Rinse capon inside and out and discard any excess fat from cavity. Pat capon dry and season cavity with salt and pepper. Put in a large roasting pan and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
• While capon is standing, stir together butter, zest, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
• Turn capon so neck cavity is nearest you. To loosen breast skin, lift neck flap and work your fingers gently between skin and flesh, being careful not to tear skin. Slide your fingers down breast and along both sides all the way to thighs. Put half of butter mixture evenly under skin of each breast, then rub outside of capon to distribute evenly.
• Place 6 lemon wedges in cavity of bird and tie legs together with string.
• Roast capon in middle of oven, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes, 1 1/2 hours. Skim most of fat from pan, then add remaining 10 lemon wedges to pan, tossing with pan juices. Continue roasting capon, basting every 15 minutes, until thermometer inserted 2 inches into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 45 minutes more.
• Tilt capon in pan to pour out juices in cavity, then transfer capon and lemon wedges to a carving platter and let stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Do not clean pan.
• Skim fat from pan juices and straddle roasting pan across 2 burners. Add water and jelly and deglaze pan by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
• Carve capon and serve with sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Make the stuffing: Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel chunks and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook until slightly soft, about 7 minutes. Add the coriander and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the quinoa and broth and bring to a simmer; cover and cook over low heat until the quinoa is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then add the scallions, dried apricots, pistachios, olives, parsley, orange zest and juice, fennel fronds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.
• Prepare the capon: Season the inside of the bird with salt. Fill the cavity with the quinoa stuffing and tie the legs together. Place any extra stuffing in a small oiled baking dish, cover with foil and set aside. Brush the capon with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix the coriander, cumin and paprika in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture over the capon and season with salt.
• Pour 1 cup water in the bottom of a large roasting pan; place a rack in the pan. Place the capon on the rack, breast-side down, and roast about 30 minutes. Turn the bird breast-side up, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Place the dish of extra stuffing in the oven about 15 minutes before the capon is done and cook 20 to 30 minutes. Let the capon rest about 15 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the capon, breast side up, in a large roasting pan and pat the outside dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place the lemons and thyme inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the body. Brush the capon with half of the melted butter, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place the onions around the capon, pour the rest of the melted butter over the onions and sprinkle the onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the capon in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours, until 155 degrees F to 160 degrees F when the thigh is tested with a meat thermometer.
• Remove the capon from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Allow the capon to rest for 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the onions.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity and rinse the chicken under cold water, inside and out. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season the body and cavity of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, lemon juice and chopped herbs. Rub the herbed butter all over the chicken. Put the lemon halves, onion, garlic and whole herbs inside the bird. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape.
• Place the chicken, breast side down, on a V-rack in a roasting pan. Cooking the chicken on a rack helps make its skin crisp and keeps it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour water in the roasting pan to prevent the fat drippings from burning and smoking.
• Roast the chicken for about 20 minutes, then carefully turn the bird over breast side up. It is best to take the pan out of the oven, close the oven door to maintain the temperature, and rotate the chicken on the counter. Baste the chicken all over with the pan drippings. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees F and return the pan to the oven. Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees to 170 degrees F, count on this taking about 2 hours. Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 15 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
• Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a gravy separator or measuring cup to let the fat rise to the top. Skim and discard the fat then return the pan juices back in the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat. Add the sherry and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with chicken.

Steps:

• Let capon stand at room temperature 1 hour. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, pancetta, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta begins to render fat and onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and the figs to pan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.
• Stir orange zest and juice, liqueur, and chopped sage into broth mixture. Tear bread into 1 1/2-inch pieces, and transfer to a large bowl. Pour broth mixture over bread, and stir until well combined. Fold in egg.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place orange wedges in a single layer in the center of a roasting pan; add onion wedges, sage sprig, and capon neck. Stir together 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and season body cavity of capon with half the mixture. Loosely pack body and neck cavities with stuffing. Place capon on top of orange mixture in pan. Rub remaining 2 tablespoons butter all over capon, and season with remaining salt-pepper mixture.
• Roast capon 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°, and roast, basting every 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 165°, 55 to 65 minutes more, depending on size of capon. (If skin becomes deep golden brown before capon is fully cooked, loosely tent with foil.)
• Transfer capon to a platter, and tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, shred neck meat, and set aside. Discard oranges, onions, and sage from roasting pan. Tilt pan, and remove excess fat with a spoon. Whisk together 1/4 cup broth and the flour.
• Place pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups broth, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, whisk in flour mixture and boil 1 minute. Pour gravy through a fine sieve into a bowl, stir neck meat into gravy, and serve alongside capon and stuffing. Stuffing (without egg) can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before folding in egg and filling capon.

Steps:

• Rinse capon inside and out and discard any excess fat from cavity. Pat capon dry inside and out, then sprinkle cavity with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Put capon in a large flameproof roasting pan (17 by 12 by 3 inches) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• While capon is standing, stir together butter, zest, 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
• Starting at neck cavity, gently slide an index finger between skin and flesh of breast to loosen skin (be careful not to tear skin). Push butter mixture evenly under skin on both sides of breast, then rub outside of capon to distribute butter evenly. Tuck wings under.
• Put thyme sprigs and lemon halves in large cavity and tie legs together with string. Pour lemon juice all over capon and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Roast capon 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and add shallots and onions to pan, tossing with pan juices. Continue roasting capon, basting with pan juices and stirring shallots and onions every 30 minutes, until thermometer inserted 2 inches into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 1/2 hours more.
• Tilt capon so juices in large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer capon to a cutting board (do not clean roasting pan) and let stand, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer shallots and onions to a sieve held over roasting pan to drain any pan juices. Transfer shallots and onions to a bowl and stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4teaspoon pepper.
• Pour pan juices into a 1-quart glass measure, then skim off fat and reserve fat and juices separately.
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners. Add 1 cup chicken stock to pan and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, scraping up brown bits, about 1 minute. Add to glass measure with pan juices.
• Cook flour and 2 tablespoons reserved fat in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, whisking, until smooth, then add remaining cup chicken stock in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Whisk in reserved pan juices and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in remaining teaspoon chopped fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
• Carve capon and serve with shallots, onions, and sauce.

Steps:

• Sprinkle the bird liberally with salt, wrap it well and refrigerate until you are ready to roast it.
• Preheat oven 425ºF.
• Place the capon, breast side up, in a large (13"x16"x3") roasting pan and pat the outside dry with paper towels.
• Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tie the wings close to the body of the capon.
• Brush the capon with half the melted butter or margarine, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Place the onions and carrots in a large bowl.
• Add the rest of the melted butter or margarine to the carrots and onions in the bowl, plus 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper; toss well.
• Place the onions and carrots around the capon; use lemon juice on capon and place rosemary sprigs and quarterd lemons around the bird.
• Place the capon into the oven legs first (the back of the oven tends to be hotter than the front)and roast for 1-1/2, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.
• Remove the capon from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil.(If the vegetables aren't browned, transfer the capon to a platter and cover with aluminum foil).
• Return the vegetables to the oven to cook while the meat rests.
• Allow the capon to rest for 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the vegetables.
• Skim the fat off the pan juices and pour over the carved capon and vegetables.
• For the whole dinner, serve; buttermilk mashed potatoes, green beans with shallots, orange-honey glazed carrots,and pumpkin mousse parfait. This is how the Barefoot Contessa served this meal.
• Enjoy!