The story behind the recipe
In the "Compendium ferculorum" by Stanisław Czerniecki from 1682, recipe LXV describes a capon, where selected breast meat is mixed with additions and put back inside. The filling was seasoned with pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg, raisins were added, and the top was covered with bacon and almonds. This is a distinct dish from the famous capon in a bottle.
The following proportions and baking are a modern adaptation of this technique, not a literal conversion of old measurements. The capon remains a bird with bones: we prepare pockets in the breasts, not removing the entire skeleton. The most challenging part is preserving the skin and evenly cooking the meat and filling.
Ingredients
Bird
- 2.5 kg kapłon (carcass cleaned, without offal)
- 18 g salt (12 g for the carcass, 6 g for the filling; adjust after testing)
- 30 g butter
- 200 ml chicken broth (unsalted)
Filling
- 100 g fresh bacon (finely chopped, unsalted)
- 60 g breadcrumbs
- 80 ml milk
- 1 pc egg
- 40 g raisins (small)
- ¼ tsp (1.3 ml) cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (1.3 ml) nutmeg
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) pepper
Topping
- 80 g fresh bacon (cut into very thin strips)
- 30 g sliced almonds
Method, step by step
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Do not rinse the carcass under running water. Remove any remaining feathers, excess fat around the opening, and dry with paper. Check that the inside is empty. Prepare a separate board and a cool bowl for the meat.
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Place the capon breast side up. Gently cut the skin above both breasts along the breastbone and fold it back, keeping as large pieces as possible. Do not cut the skin on the back and do not remove the body bones.
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Using a small knife, separate the meat from both breasts from the breastbone and ribs, without cutting the skin at the sides. Weigh about 400 g of selected meat; if there is more, use the excess separately. Keep the space from the breasts as pockets to refill later. Store the carcass and meat in the fridge.
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Soak the breadcrumbs in milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse and dry the raisins. Prepare the chopped bacon, spices, and almonds. Preheat the oven to 180°C, top and bottom heat.
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Grind the breast meat together with 100 g of bacon. Add the soaked breadcrumbs, egg, raisins, 6 g of salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix briefly into a cohesive filling. Fry a teaspoon separately until it reaches 74°C and only after cooking check the taste.
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Rub the carcass with the remaining salt. Loosely fill the pockets from the breasts with the filling, restoring their shape. Do not pack it tightly. Any excess can be placed in a small dish and baked separately until it reaches 74°C.
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Cover the filling with the reserved pieces of skin and sew the edges with kitchen thread. Place thin strips of the remaining bacon and almonds on the breasts; you can tuck some almonds slightly into the filling at the seam. Tuck the wings, tie the legs.
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Place the capon in the roasting pan breast side up. Brush the skin with butter, pour broth into the bottom. If the probe is intended for the oven, it should enter the thickest part of the filling, not touching the bone.
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Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C. Reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue baking for approximately 90–120 minutes. Every 30 minutes, baste the skin with the juices from the bottom; when the liquid evaporates, add a little hot water.
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If the breasts or almonds brown too quickly, loosely cover them with aluminum foil. Do not lower the oven temperature below 165°C. Do not stop baking just because the specified time has passed.
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Check the temperature inside both stuffed breasts and in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone. Each of these places must reach at least 74°C. If necessary, continue baking and recheck the temperature.
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Transfer the capon to a board and let it rest for 20 minutes, loosely covered. Degrease the juices from the roasting pan with a spoon, add a little water and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits. Strain the sauce.
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Remove all threads. Separate the thighs and wings, and cut the stuffed breasts into thick slices with a sharp knife, supporting the skin and filling. Do not squeeze the filling by pressing down on the whole breast.
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Serve the capon with hot roasting sauce, groats or potatoes, and beetroot. Inform the table that the thighs and wings still contain bones.
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