by pierino
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1
8 to 9 pound capon
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3
or 4 blood oranges (available at the food52 shop)
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1
stick butter
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Fresh tarragon
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Sea salt plus fleur de sel for the table
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ground pepper
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1 cup
Homemade chicken stock (which came first?)
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1/2 cup
Wondra superfine flour
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cornstarch and water for a slurry
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Heat your oven to 450˚
Ask the hotline about this step!Put your butter out to soften and then chop up the tarragon
Ask the hotline about this step!Cut the blood oranges into quarters or eighths to fit the capon cavity. Salt the cavity and stuff in the orange pieces
Ask the hotline about this step!Mash the tarragon into the softened butter. Using your freshly washed hands pull away the skin at the outside of the cavity and carefully push some of the butter herb mixture in. Don’t tear the skin.
Ask the hotline about this step!Wash your hands again. Using kitchen string truss the chicken to your own preferred method. All you really want to do here is twist the wings around and keep them close to the body, and also to tighten the legs to the cavity. Be sure to close the flap. There’s a name for that which I’m not going to mention. Okay, trussed up right? Now rub the outside of the bird with remaining butter and sea salt.
Ask the hotline about this step!Place Monsieur Capon in a roasting pan and put him in your oven. After 15 minutes lower the temperature to 350˚. With a brush (silicone) baste the bird every 20 minutes or so with the buttery juices that are now dripping out. It’s likely to take about an hour and a half to cook. But you will need to check the temperature to be sure it reaches 160˚. See notes below on instant reads.
Ask the hotline about this step!When the flesh tested away from the bone reaches 160˚ remove the capon to a platter and tent with aluminum foil for at least 15 minutes. It will get a “heat boost” and the juices will settle back in.
Ask the hotline about this step!While it’s resting make your “gravy”. Put your roasting pan on a gas burner and add the Wondra superfine flour. Scrape around a bit so that the flour colors. Add the chicken stock, and continue to stir. Make a slurry with water and corn starch, about half and half. Set that aside. Strain the stock and dripping mixture. Whisk in the slurry which will give it body and shine. Carve and serve.
Ask the hotline about this step!Notes: I’m almost as bad a therma-geek as Alton Brown. I check temperatures with a laser (no two oven dials are calibrated exactly---you can be off by 25˚). I also use a Thermapen to test the meat. After using one for ten years I was happy to see Alton pull one out. You can now buy them through kingarthurflour.com. Precise temperature control is your secret weapon as a good cook.
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