Capon of your Dreams
This is another recipe from a wonderful home cook named Lea. It sounds great, and I look forward to trying this and more recipes from her kitchen.
Here is a favorite that you might like to try if you get in the mood to BBQ. It's a really good dish and all my own, so I am proud of it. Of course, I went through a smoking period, and the jerky making, and this was the culmination. Hope you enjoy..... Lea
It's BBQ season soon, and here is a Capon to dazzle your guests:
Stuff a large capon with finger size chunks of apples, sweet onions, and a generous amount of fresh rosemary. Stuff under the breast, from both bottom and top, with soft herbed goat cheese or other soft cheese. This should be mild (and you can make your own by blending pureed garlic and and fresh rosemary with a neutral soft cheese).
Get under the breast skin by loosening the skin from the meat at the bottom and working your hands gently up the bird by sliding your hands between the skin and the meat. Get into the top by working hands beginning from the neck flap. You may work the cheese in with your fingers.
The whole breast should be covered with an even layer of cheese (1/16th -⅛th inch thick, maybe), Truss bird, and put wings behind the back. (you can use bamboo skewers to close the vent).
Prepare a BBQ fire by banking 12 (or more, depending on kettle size) coals on each side of a large kettle-type grill. (see instructions for slow-cooking roasts), or you may cook @ 325 in the oven.
Rub the bird with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If using the Weber Grill, you will want to add a few coals to each side periodically (about every 40 minutes to keep the heat fairly even)
Soak 2 cups of hickory chips in water for an hour beforehand.
Prepare a glaze of 8-10 oz. Hot honey mustard (I like Sloane's Tavern or ElPasso Chile co.'s Sweet n Hot- any is all right, but check the label to be sure it is sweetened with honey, not sugar).), and 2 heaping Tbs. Jalapeno Jelly and at least 1 tablespoon honey. (I also add a dash of habanero BBQ sauce to give it a punch, you can add a dash of any hot sauce you like or not)
Put the capon between banks of coals, and cover kettle. Add a few hickory chips (wet) to each side of the coals every 20 minutes, and coals as needed. After about 1.5 hours, start basting the bird with the jalapeno/mustard glaze. This works best lightly applied with a paintbrush. If the mustard is thick, you may thin it with a little honey or olive oil.
Baste every 15-20 minutes or so while adding more hickory. If you are careful, you may turn the bird, which can be risky). If the bird starts to over-brown before done, you may cover that part with a bit of foil. In my book, the bird is done when the leg is VERY loose. (Some say that is too done, but I don't think so), you may use a thermometer. This generally takes about 3.5-4 hours for an eight-pound bird.
Let the bird sit for at least 30 minutes before carving, and be careful when removing it from the grill, as it may well fall apart! (You may want to put a couple of strips of folded-up foil under the bird before cooking to help lift it off the grill).
Serve with whatever you like, but keep it simple. Simple rice pilaf, roasted Finnish potatoes, and green veggies are enough. If you really want to lay it on thick, you could make a cornbread.
This bird is full of complex flavors. I sometimes make a little warm relish of red and yellow bell peppers, julienned and tossed in olive oil and butter, with the juices from the platter stirred in until soft, and with a splash of white wine and a touch of lemon to finish them.
This adds a lot of color to the plate. The flavors of mustard, hickory, and jalapeno, and the crispy skin and soft meat (continually basted by the soft cheese) all complement each other nicely. The cheese will form a gravy with the bird's juices as they ooze onto the plate.
Don't forget the apples and onions inside!
Lea, thanks for another great recipe. RG
Some of My Favorite Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Baked in Cornbread Recipe
- Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Plums Potatoes and Onions
- Quick and Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
- Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Comfort Food Recipe
- Southern California Style Chicken with Rice and Beans Recipe
- Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Artichoke Hearts Recipe
- Simple Chicken - Tomato - Pasta Recipe
- Chicken Korma Recipe
miss gala
Sounds really good, what about the soaked hickory for smoke if you do it in a 325 oven?