Roast capon with forcemeat stuffing

Serves SERVES 6 Starters and mains

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Method

To make the chicken stock, place the chicken wings in a large pan and cover with water. Add a little salt. Cook slowly for 2 hours with the lid half on. The stock will be clear if it does not boil hard. Strain into a bowl and when cool put in the fridge. Use within a few days, after first removing the hard fat from the surface.

For the stuffing, whizz the breadcrumbs in a food processor to a fine crumb. Tip into a bowl. Add suet, parsley, lemon zest. Season. Mix in the egg and chicken stock. If the capon is trussed, remove the string and any giblets packed inside. Put the giblets in a small pan, cover with water and simmer for 1 hour for gravy.

Wipe out the body cavity of the bird with kitchen paper and squeeze in the lemon juice. Lightly season with 1½tsp fine sea salt and 1tsp ground black pepper. Fill the neck and body cavity with the forcemeat stuffing. Skewer the neck cavity closed under the bird.

Weigh the bird (the idea is to cook it for 15 minutes per 500g after the first 30 minutes roasting on a high temperature – see below). Place on a rack set in a roasting tin large enough to contain it. Smear the skin with the butter. Season. Lay parchment paper or the butter paper over the breast and cover the whole tin with foil.

The bird can be left in a cool place (not the fridge) overnight if cooking the next morning. Keeping it too cold, though, will prevent it from cooking right through.

When ready to cook, bring the bird into a warmer room and preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/ Gas 7. Lift a corner of the foil and add 100ml of white wine, 100ml of stock and 100ml water. Roast for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 190°C /375°F/Gas 5 and roast for a further 45 minutes. Add 100ml stock. Roast for 45 minutes. Remove foil and roast for a further 15 minutes or longer (depending on the bird’s weight, as above) until the skin is brown, crisp and the bird is cooked through.

To test if the bird is cooked, insert a thin skewer into a fat part of the thigh. The juices should be clear and pale golden, not pink. Return to the oven for a little longer if needed. Rest it in a warm place for 30 minutes before serving.
To make a gravy, spoon the fat from the juices remaining in the tin. Add the strained giblet stock into the tin and add a little more chicken stock or water. Put over a medium heat until just boiling. Strain into a smaller pan and reheat when ready to use.