Capon in oil

Recipe for capon in olive oil

Preparation

• - Prepare your capon.
  Remove its skin as much as possible.
  Eliminate its yellow fat as much as possible.
  You can easily find the spikes of its pens because it is difficult to pluck the capon well. In this case you have to pass it, quickly, over the flame. So you'll have no problem to remove them completely.
• - Prepare all the vegetables for the broth.
  Peel the onion and carrot.
  Clean and wash the celery.
• - Put the capon together with the whole vegetables, sun-dried tomato and a little handful of salt in a large pot.
  Cover with abundant cold water.

Cooking

• - Bring to a boil and skim the broth.
  Reduce the heat and simmer for at least 90 minutes or until the meat is tender, half-covered.
  Add other hot water, if necessary.
  Let the capon cool in its cooking water.
• - Bone the capon making regular pieces.
• - Place the meat in a bowl.
  Chop the young onions and add to the capon.
  Add aromatic herbs too.
  Pour as much olive oil as necessary to cover, stirring occasionally to mix well your ingredients.
  Check for salt.
• - Cover the bowl and let it rest for 24 hours in a cool place.

Just before serving

• - At this point your capon in olive oil is ready.

Note

Tips

• - In Italy we call this dish "tonno di cappone", in other words literally translated: "tuna of capon". This recipe derives its name from the appearance of the meat and preparation method that resembles tuna in oil.
• - Difficult to give a more precise indication on cooking time. Much depends on the quality of the meat.
• - Serve this capon dish with serving pincers so that your guests can drip the excess oil before transferring their portion into the plate.
• - Generally I don't use garlic and even in this case. Capon meat is already tasty and doesn't need to be further flavored. Then keep in mind, please, that the world is divided in half, between those who love and those who hate garlic. In a meal, buffet-style use velvet gloves, I recommend.
• - Do not throw away the capon broth. Strain and put it in the fridge so you can remove the surface where its fatty parts build up.
  Great my porcini mushroom risotto (link below!) if made with this broth! But every other risotto is fantastic made with it.
  I've the habit to use a ladle or two when I have it, to flavor soups or puréed vegetables or legumes.

Menu planning

• - As I mentioned earlier I serve this capon dish in assorted antipasto platter (some tips below!) or in a meal, buffet-style. It is ideal for Holiday Season.
  It can serve more than 6, according to the other dishes with which it is combined.
  And if you have any of it left, do not worry! You may keep it for several days in the refrigerator.

Useful links for this recipe

• - Here are some tips of mine for an assorted antipasto platter, Italian-style. Meanwhile avoid an excess of cold meats, especially if high in fat. Choose among cured ham, culatello, speck. So serve capon in olive oil accompanied by your favorite cold meat, crostini, grilled special polenta, vegetable mini flans (turnip top and prawn flans, spinach and ricotta cheese flans) or salt cakes, sliced.
• - As I've just written my porcini mushrooom risotto made with capon broth is a very special dish. Think of it if you're planning a full menu for Christmas or New Year's Eve dinner.

Healthy eating

• - Impossible to calculate the nutritional facts of capon in olive oil. It all depends on how much oil you eat with the meat. That's why you read n.c. (not calculated) instead of the usual numbers.
• - The only thing I can write is the nutritional value of only the capon without other ingredients, per portion. These data refer to the capon with skin according to my sources that say nothing of the skinless capon. Generally I boil it without skin, as you've read, and therefore I'll have lower values ​​of fat and therefore calories.
  Energy: 278 kcal (1165 kJ)
  Protein: 22.2g
  Total fat: 20.3 g
  Carbohydrates: 0.0g (sugars: 0.0g)
  Fiber: 0.0g

Loretta

What's the right wine ?

My husband and I generally pair Dolcetto or Grignolino (both red wines of Piedmont) with capon recipes but in this case you have to match the wine thinking of the other dishes too.