For one thing, we have Chef Eric Ripert’s favorite holiday recipe … which is roasted capon. This recipe is not only easy to make but has a hint of holiday luxury with the addition of truffles and duck fat. It’s also an homage to his grandmother who made stuffed capon for every special occasion meal.  Read on for the recipe. Order your capon today – along with black truffles and duck fat – and try Chef Eric’s recipe this Christmas. 

In case you didn’t know, capon is a castrated rooster that offers tender meat with intense chicken flavor and is large enough to feed 5-9 people (depending on the size of the bird). It’s the preferred special occasion poultry in France and is perfect for your holiday meal.

Chef Eric is a longtime friend of D’Artagnan, and we are always happy to see him cooking with our ingredients, as in this recipe.

Roasted Capon with Mushroom-Truffle Stuffing

Ingredients

1 capon, approximately 6 pounds
1 cup fresh bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 ounce chopped chicken liver
½ pound mixed mushrooms, cleaned and diced
1 ounce black truffle, diced (can use fresh or canned)
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons diced shallot
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon duck fat, or butter
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 cups chicken stock

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rinse the capon and pat dry. Remove wings and reserve.

Soak the bread in the milk. Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread and place in a large bowl. Add the eggs, chicken liver, mushrooms, truffles, garlic, shallot, parsley, thyme and duck fat. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the cavity of the capon with salt and pepper and fill with the stuffing. Thread a trussing needle with a piece of kitchen string at least 18 inches long. Sew the opening in the capon closed using a crisscross pattern – enter the bird just above the breast and cross down to the opposite leg, pulling the string tight. Repeat with the other side of the bird. Finally, pierce the top of the breast and pass the needle through the bottom of the bird. The opening should be completely closed at this point. Tie the legs together. Season the bird on the outside with salt and pepper.

Place the wings in a roasting pan and place the capon on top of the wings. Roast for 90 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the leg is pierced and the stuffing reaches 150 degrees F. Remove the capon to a platter and let it rest at least 10 minutes.

Place the roasting pan over high heat and add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, stirring the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Strain into a small pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, carve the capon and slice the breast meat and leg meat. Serve 2 slices of each and a spoon of the stuffing. Spoon the sauce over the plate and pass the extra sauce at the table. Serve immediately.

Photo and recipe from Avec Eric. 

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