Sweet Stuffed Capon Food

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.

SWEET STUFFED CAPON

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• 2. Remove the giblets from the capon. Rinse out the cavity with cold water and pat it dry. Season it with salt and pepper. Carefully separate the skin from the meat of the breast meat of the capon. Divide the butter in two equal parts, and carefully spread half of it on each side of the breast meat with your fingers, being careful not to break the skin. Carefully lay a bay leaf atop the butter on each side of the breast meat.
• 3. Coarsely chop the giblets. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the pork, the breadcrumbs, the giblets, the chestnuts, the thyme, and the spices, working the mixture together with your fingers so it is homogeneous. As you work, the chestnuts will break into pieces - leave them in uneven pieces. Mix in the egg thoroughly with your hands, then season with salt and pepper. Sauté a teaspoon of the stuffing and taste it for seasoning. Adjust if necessary. Place as much of the stuffing as you can fit inside the capon, without packing it in too hard. Place any leftover stuffing in a baking dish.
• 4. Truss the capon and place it in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup water. Roast it in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, then turn it on one side. Roast it for 25 minutes, then turn it on the other side and roast it for 25 minutes. Finally, leaving it breast up, continue to roast it until the juices of the capon run golden and the stuffing inside the bird reaches a temperature of 160°F, a total of about 2 hours, checking it occasionally to be sure that it isn't browning too much, and adding more water if the pan is dry. Remove the capon from the oven and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Turn it on its breast at an angle, so the juices run into the breast meat, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
• 5. Place the roasting pan over medium heat and add three-quarters cup water. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and cook until reduced by about one-third. Taste for seasoning.
• 6. To serve the capon, present it first at the table, whole, then carve it. Remove the stuffing in one piece if possible and slice it.

STUFFED CAPON SKIN (SIMILAR TO STUFFED KISHKA)

Steps:

• Take the capon and open the skin at the neck, at which time you will place your hand between the skin and the flesh, and carefully remove the entire skin in ONE PIECE.
• Quarter the chicken and place into a large pot and cover with water.
• Boil until the chicken is done and comes off the bone easily.
• Remove all of the meat.
• Take 2 cups of the chicken meat chopped into small pieces and place into a large bowl.
• The remaining chicken meat can be used in a soup or in a chicken salad, or on a regular garden salad.
• Tear up the 4 slices of white bread into small pieces and add that to the chicken in the bowl.
• Add the rest of the Stuffing Seasonings and mix thoroughly.
• Place the stuffing mixture onto the inside of the skin.
• Roll the skin closed and secure with either string or wooden toothpicks.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Spray the inside of a baking dish with Pam and place the chicken roll into the baking dish.
• Brush the entire roll with the egg baste, setting the remaining egg baste aside for further basting.
• Sprinkle the seasoning onto the roll in amounts indicated above.
• Bake 45 minutes, or until the skin is a crisp golden brown, basting with the egg wash every 10 or 15 minutes.
• To serve, place the chicken roll onto a platter.
• Remove the string or toothpicks.
• Slice crosswise on an angle in 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch slices, allowing the slices to partially overlap each other.
• You may use your favorite chicken gravy or sauce.

ROAST CAPON WITH MUSHROOM STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• First prepare the stuffing. Heat oil in a large skillet, then saute the onions until they are tender and transparent. Add the celery to the onions and cook until the celery is soft. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they are tender. Season the onion mixture with the sage, salt, poultry seasoning, pepper and parsley. Toss until well mixed. Process the buns to make bread crumbs, then add them to the skillet and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once cool, stir the egg into the stuffing. Set mixture aside.
• Remove the giblets and wash the capon inside and out. Rub the bird inside and outside with salt. Loosely fill the cavity of the capon and the neck opening with the stuffing. Fold the skin over the stuffing and skewer the openings.
• Lay the capon in the roasting pan, breast side up. Spread the softened butter on the skin then season the exterior of the bird with Lawry's salt. Add the potatoes and carrots to roasting pan. Roast the capon at 425F with the lid on for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and remove the lid. Roast the capon basting frequently with it's own juices for 2 hours or until the juices run clear when pierced.
• To serve, transfer the capon and vegetables to a heated serving dish. Discard the skewers and keep the bird hot by tenting with foil. while making the gravy.
• To prepare the gravy, stir the flour into the roasting pan and bring to a boil over moderate heat on the stove. Add the water, salt and pepper stirring and scraping the base and sides to dislodge any crusty bits. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring until gravy is desired consistency. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and keep warm until ready to serve.