The Stuffed capon, browned in a pan and then cooked in the oven, is a perfect second course for Christmas or New Year’s lunch. The capon has a very delicate taste similar to that of the hen, but the meat it stays wetter during cooking and is tastier and suitable for long cooking in the oven. The capon is nothing more than a young rooster, as a result of which its meat will be much softer than that of an elderly rooster. There are many variations in the preparation of the filling, which varies a lot depending on the region, the province, even from family to family! Some they add dried fruits such as nuts, cashews and pistachios, others choose a different minced meat, but the result doesn’t change: the capon will always remain a tasty, delicious, elegant dish that will make all the diners happy. We have chosen to offer you a very easy and classic recipe, with a capon stuffed with mortadella, minced pork and sausages, spices and sautéed. You will also find some useful tips for cooking capon and for enjoying this delicious holiday main course to the fullest!

Basic preparations

1

Prepare the vegetable broth.

2

Make a coarse trite of carrots, celery and shallots.

3

Finely chop a sprig of rosemary and the bunch of parsley, after having rinsed them.

4

Cut the raw ham into small cubes and chop them finely with a mixer.

Preparation of the filling

1

In a large bowl add sausages and ground pork. On the side, blend the mortadella.

2

Add the minced mortadella, an egg, the breadcrumbs and the grated Grana cheese to the bowl.

3

Season with the chopped parsley, add spices, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix everything and keep the mixture aside.

Capon preparation

1

If you have purchased a whole capon, remove the head and legs with a sharp knife. If, on the other hand, you have purchased an already clean capon, only eliminate any residues of feathers and feathers with a torch or a lighter.

2

Fill the capon with the filling you have previously prepared, pressing until it is completely filled. Close the hole in the capon with a needle and kitchen thread to seal the filling.

3

With another piece of string tie the thighs together and wrap the string around the wings.

4

Peel and cut the carrots into pieces, clean and cut the onion, cut the washed and dried celery into pieces.

5

Blend all the vegetables, finely chop them.

6

Put a large saucepan on the fire, pour in the oil and let it heat up. Add the chopped vegetables and mix.

7

Add the capon to the pan and let it brown on all sides over medium heat for about 15 minutes, turning it from time to time with the help of two spoons or kitchen spatulas. Do not use forks, because you risk puncturing it and letting the filling out. Then pour in the white wine and let it evaporate. Salt and pepper.

1

Place the stuffed and browned capon in a large saucepan and cover it with small pieces of butter and vegetable broth.

2

Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated static oven at 180°. Then cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil and let it cook for 1 hour.

3

After 1 hour of cooking covered, remove the aluminum foil and continue cooking for another hour, sprinkling it occasionally with the cooking liquid.

4

As soon as it is ready, serve it immediately, cut into pieces with poultry shears. Season it with the cooking sauce.

Advice and tips

If you have limited time, you can prepare the capon and the filling the night before, close it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. then cooking it the next day.

The filling of the capon can be varied to your liking. You can insert, for example, nuts such as pistachios, cashews and walnuts, or prunes and chestnuts, or Dried Tomatoes in Oil.

If you have a large cast iron pot, you can cook the capon in a pot over low heat with a lid.

If you want, you can add some potatoes cut into pieces after the first hour of cooking in the oven, once the aluminum foil has been removed.

Are you wondering which wine to pair with baked stuffed capon? Definitely a firm and full-bodied red, like a Cannonau of Sardiniaa Nero d’Avola or a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

storage

The stuffed capon, once cooked, can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for 2 days maximum.

If you have used all the fresh ingredients, you can freeze the already cooked capon in the freezer, in an airtight container or in freezer bags.

History

The name “capon” comes from Latin and Greek: it refers to the operation of castrating the young rooster after i 60 days to live, a solution that allows the capon’s meat to remain very soft, unlike an adult and elderly non-castrated rooster. For centuries the capon has been eaten on Christmas day: the custom spread in the Middle Ages, when meat was a privilege of a few and consuming an entire capon during Christmas lunch indicated wealth and stability of the family that had been able to afford it. Often the capon it was even used to pay off debtsservices or supplies instead of money.