Thanksgiving Menu Roasted Capon Recipes

GOLDEN OVEN-ROASTED CAPON

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.

ROASTED CAPON

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 the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
• 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.

THANKSGIVING MENU - ROASTED CAPON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to medium. Rub the inside of the capon with butter. Place chestnuts in a pot of water and add fennel seeds and red wine for flavor. Boil until chestnuts are done - when they can be penetrated with a fork. Start checking them after about 10 minutes, because you don't want them to get too soft. Let the chestnuts cook, then peel and cut them into pieces. Remove the skin from the sausage and cut it into sections. Place the sausage in a pan and, as it cooks, break it into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper. When the sausage is done, remove it to a bowl, leaving the grease behind. Sauté the interiors in butter and sage until cooked, then chop them. Add the interiors and chestnuts to the sausage and mix well. Stuff this mixture inside the capon, place capon in the oven, and roast for about 1 hour per pound. If you see that the capon is getting too dry as it cooks, add water. Variation: This capon is also good stuffed with Polenta and sausage.

ROAST CAPON WITH LEMON AND THYME

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.

ROAST CAPON

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!

ROAST CAPON WITH FIG-AND-PANCETTA STUFFING

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.

STUFFED TARRAGON ROAST CAPON WITH RICH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• NOTE: You will need to prepared Matzo Walnut and Mushroom stuffing recipe #126858 to use for the capon.
• Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. From capon, remove giblets and neck; set aside. Trim excess fat. Sprinkle body cavity with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Insert fingers under skin on breasts and legs to loosen. With fingers, spread 2 tablespoons of the margarine under skin. Tuck in tarragon sprigs.
• Loosely fill neck cavity with some Matzo, Walnut and Mushroom Stuffing. Fold skin over; secure with poultry pins. Fill body cavity with remaining stuffing. Join skin using poultry pins; tie with kitchen string. Loosely tie legs together. Place, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan. Rub remaining margarine over breast and legs; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add 1 cup of the water to pan.
• Roast capon 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Roast 2 to 2 1/4 hours longer, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices, until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh not touching bone registers 170 degrees. (Place garlic in foil in oven with capon for last hour; roast until very soft.).
• Meanwhile, make broth for gravy: In 2-qt saucepan, combine reserved neck and giblets (except liver), remaining 2 cups water, the broth, celery and onion. Simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 3 cups, about 1 hour. Strain; discard solids.
• When capon is done, transfer to platter; remove stuffing to serving bowl; keep warm. Loosely tent capon with foil; let rest 15 to 20 minutes.
• To make gravy: Halve roasted garlic crosswise; squeeze pulp into small sieve. With spatula, scrape pulp through sieve into cup. Discard fat from roasting pan. Place pan over 2 stove-top burners; add 1/2 cup of broth for gravy. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon. Whisk in garlic pulp and potato starch. Add remaining broth. Bring to a boil, whisking, until thickened, 5 minutes. Season with remaining salt and pepper.
• Carve capon. Serve with stuffing and gravy.

ROAST CAPON WITH WILD RICE SOURDOUGH STUFFING

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Add rice; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 45 minutes, or until tender. Spread on a plate to cool.
• Meanwhile, place pancetta in a large, deep frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook until fat is rendered and pancetta is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Add onions and cook until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn up heat to medium; add carrots and celery. Cook until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add stock and bring to a simmer. Add sage and reduce until thick and soupy, about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add butter, if desired, and stir until melted.
• Add rice to pan and stir until moistened. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and combine with rice-vegetable mixture. Add more stock as needed until stuffing is slightly moist but not soggy. Stir in parsley.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season cavity of capon with salt and pepper. Stuff just before roasting. Rub capon with a little softened butter or olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with butcher?s twine and place in a roasting pan.
• Turn oven down to 375 degrees and roast capon for 25 minutes per pound, or until juices run clear when thigh is pricked with a fork. Let sit, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before carving.