Christmas Capon Recipe
Christmas Capon is a tasty and unique dish that can make your Christmas dinner th ebest ever the family has had. I served this last year for my family and they loved it. It is not surprising that they are asking me to make this Christmas Capon again this year around!
Ingredients
One 6- to 7-pound capon (organic free-range preferred)
1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
One 3-ounce piece Prosciutto di Parma, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
Directions
Rinse the capon under cold running water.
Pat it dry and trim away all visible fat.
Rub it inside and out with the lemon, gradually squeezing out the juice.
Sprinkle the cavity and all of the bird's skin with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Tuck the prosciutto into the cavity.
Set the bird on a platter, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
To roast the capon, preheat the oven to 325°F.
Truss the capon if desired.
Lay the bird, breast side down, in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it.
Roast 25 minutes to the pound (2 1/2 to 3 hours), or until an instant-reading thermometer tucked into the thickest part of the thigh reads 170°F.
After the first hour, begin basting the capon with one-third of the white wine.
After 20 minutes, add another third.
Wait another 20 minutes and baste the capon with the last of the white wine.
Then begin basting with the Marsala, using a third at a time.
Baste the capon every 20 minutes with the Marsala and spoonfuls of its own pan juices.
If the juices threaten to fry or burn, add a little water to the pan.
During the last 30 minutes of roasting, turn the bird over to brown the breast area.
Pat it dry and trim away all visible fat.
Rub it inside and out with the lemon, gradually squeezing out the juice.
Sprinkle the cavity and all of the bird's skin with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Tuck the prosciutto into the cavity.
Set the bird on a platter, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
To roast the capon, preheat the oven to 325°F.
Truss the capon if desired.
Lay the bird, breast side down, in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it.
Roast 25 minutes to the pound (2 1/2 to 3 hours), or until an instant-reading thermometer tucked into the thickest part of the thigh reads 170°F.
After the first hour, begin basting the capon with one-third of the white wine.
After 20 minutes, add another third.
Wait another 20 minutes and baste the capon with the last of the white wine.
Then begin basting with the Marsala, using a third at a time.
Baste the capon every 20 minutes with the Marsala and spoonfuls of its own pan juices.
If the juices threaten to fry or burn, add a little water to the pan.
During the last 30 minutes of roasting, turn the bird over to brown the breast area.
