Roasted Capon

Roasted Capon: From the Club Argaux Fall Test Kitchen in conjunction with our first ever Tastemaker, Master Sommelier Peter Neptune Pair with the Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly 'Cuvee Melanie' Beaujolais from the Club Argaux Fall Seasonal Selections. Capon is a young rooster that was gelded to improve the quality of the meat. It makes a great Holiday Alternative to Turkey or Goose and is more flavorful and tender. They are approx. 8 to 81/2 pounds. Peter roasts it like a chicken with slightly longer roasting time for the size of the bird. Thaw, wash and be sure to thoroughly dry inside and out. Ingredients:

Capon 1 stick of butter 2 lemons Handful of chopped tarragon Handful of chopped thyme 2 garlic cloves Half of an onion Black pepper 3-4 rosemary sprigs Salt

Step 1 Preheat oven to 450 Degrees F. Step 2 Mix together a stick of softened butter with some lemon juice, chopped herbs such as tarragon and thyme, and a couple cloves of chopped garlic. Step 3 Season the bird generously with salt and pepper inside and out. Rub the butter mixture all over the bird inside and out and put the halves of the lemon you used for the juice, a halved onion, a couple cloves of garlic and a couple sticks of rosemary into the cavity and truss the legs. Step 4 Place the capon, breast side down, on a V-rack in a roasting pan. Cooking the capon 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. Step 5 Roast the capon for about 30 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 bird on the counter. Baste all over with the pan drippings. Step 6 Turn the heat down to 350 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 to 21/2 hours. Step 7 Remove the capon to a platter and let stand for 15 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. 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 sherry and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with the capon. Cheers!