Giancarlo Quadaltis Capon Broth Recipes

ROASTED CAPON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the capon, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan and pat the outside dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place the lemons and thyme inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the body. Brush the capon with half of the melted butter, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place the onions around the capon, pour the rest of the melted butter over the onions and sprinkle the onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the capon in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
• Remove the capon from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Allow the capon to rest for 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the onions.

BOLLITO MISTO OF CAPON AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Place onions and leeks directly over a stovetop flame; cook, turning, until slightly charred, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large stockpot. Add capon, celery, carrots, tomatoes, basil, parsley, chicken bouillon, and salt; cover with 6 quarts water. Place over high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer partly covered until capon is cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Carefully lift the capon from the broth, and transfer to a cutting board. Cover capon with a clean wet cloth, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside in a warm place. Pass the broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a large container. Using a wooden spoon, press down to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from vegetables, and discard solids. Using a large spoon, remove as much fat that rises to the top as possible. Transfer stock to a large saucepan; return to high heat.
• One hour before serving, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pierce the sausage all over with a fork. Wrap in cheesecloth, and tie ends with kitchen twine. Add the prepared sausage, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 1 hour. Remove from heat; keep warm. When ready to serve, slice the sausage and capon into serving pieces and arrange in a serving dish with Mixed Vegetables.

NOR CAL CARNITAS

Steps:

• Remove the pork butts from refrigeration 1 hour before cooking. Do not remove the bone.
• Heat the lard in a large stainless steel pot over high heat to 250 degrees F. The pot needs to be large enough to fit all the pieces of pork butt side by side, not on top of each other, and preferably not touching each other. Add enough lard to completely submerge the meat. Add the onion and garlic and let brown but do not burn. If garlic burns, you must start the process over. Remove onions and garlic from the lard and discard.
• Carefully add the pork pieces to the lard and then allow the oil to reach 250 degrees F again. Do not let the pork stick to the bottom or sides of pot. Stir around every 30 minutes to insure even coloring. Cook for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The pork should be caramel-colored with an internal temperature of 170 to 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Five minutes before you are ready to remove the meat, sprinkle the kosher salt into the oil. Continue to cook pork for 5 more minutes and then remove the pork from the oil to a platter. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Shred the meat and serve with Pico de Gallo, warm tortillas, salsa, limes, and radish slices.
• Combine all ingredients and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

QUEALY WATSON'S CABRITO

Steps:

• Light a charcoal grill or smoker, or heat oven to 250. If goat is too large for your grill, smoker or oven, cut it in half across the backbone at the top of its rear legs to create two halves.
• Season the meat aggressively with salt and pepper. If smoking, place the goat on the smoker and cover, keeping the heat around 220 to 250. If grilling, move coals to one side of the grill, and place goat on the other, away from the direct flame, then cover the grill. If oven-roasting, put goat on a sheet pan and place in the oven.
• Cook the goat for 2 hours or so, until it has taken on some color, then remove from the heat and place on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Scatter the avocado leaves across the meat, and wrap the goat in the foil, using another sheet of foil if necessary.
• Place the covered goat on a sheet pan, and put in the oven to continue cooking for 3 or 4 more hours, until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bone. Serve with tortillas and salsas.

ROAST CAPON WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Rinse capon inside and out and discard any excess fat from cavity. Pat capon dry and season cavity with salt and pepper. Put in a large roasting pan and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
• While capon is standing, stir together butter, zest, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
• Turn capon so neck cavity is nearest you. To loosen breast skin, lift neck flap and work your fingers gently between skin and flesh, being careful not to tear skin. Slide your fingers down breast and along both sides all the way to thighs. Put half of butter mixture evenly under skin of each breast, then rub outside of capon to distribute evenly.
• Place 6 lemon wedges in cavity of bird and tie legs together with string.
• Roast capon in middle of oven, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes, 1 1/2 hours. Skim most of fat from pan, then add remaining 10 lemon wedges to pan, tossing with pan juices. Continue roasting capon, basting every 15 minutes, until thermometer inserted 2 inches into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 45 minutes more.
• Tilt capon in pan to pour out juices in cavity, then transfer capon and lemon wedges to a carving platter and let stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Do not clean pan.
• Skim fat from pan juices and straddle roasting pan across 2 burners. Add water and jelly and deglaze pan by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
• Carve capon and serve with sauce.

ROAST CAPON WITH FIG-AND-PANCETTA STUFFING

Steps:

• Let capon stand at room temperature 1 hour. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, pancetta, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta begins to render fat and onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and the figs to pan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.
• Stir orange zest and juice, liqueur, and chopped sage into broth mixture. Tear bread into 1 1/2-inch pieces, and transfer to a large bowl. Pour broth mixture over bread, and stir until well combined. Fold in egg.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place orange wedges in a single layer in the center of a roasting pan; add onion wedges, sage sprig, and capon neck. Stir together 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and season body cavity of capon with half the mixture. Loosely pack body and neck cavities with stuffing. Place capon on top of orange mixture in pan. Rub remaining 2 tablespoons butter all over capon, and season with remaining salt-pepper mixture.
• Roast capon 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°, and roast, basting every 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 165°, 55 to 65 minutes more, depending on size of capon. (If skin becomes deep golden brown before capon is fully cooked, loosely tent with foil.)
• Transfer capon to a platter, and tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, shred neck meat, and set aside. Discard oranges, onions, and sage from roasting pan. Tilt pan, and remove excess fat with a spoon. Whisk together 1/4 cup broth and the flour.
• Place pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups broth, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, whisk in flour mixture and boil 1 minute. Pour gravy through a fine sieve into a bowl, stir neck meat into gravy, and serve alongside capon and stuffing. Stuffing (without egg) can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before folding in egg and filling capon.

TORTELLINI IN CAPON BROTH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 eggs, and 1 yolk. Pulse until mixture comes together and dough is slightly tacky (it should not stick to fingers when squeezed). Transfer to a clean surface; knead dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle veal with salt and pepper; cook until brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked veal, oil, and any brown bits from bottom of skillet to the bowl of a food processor. Add remaining egg, mortadella, prosciutto, Parmesan, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper; process until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator.
• Remove pasta dough from refrigerator; divide into three equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap. Set pasta machine on largest setting; roll one piece of pasta dough through. Fold into thirds; repeat on largest setting. Switch to smaller settings for each pass until dough is rolled into a thin sheet. Cut dough into 2-inch squares. Place a rounded 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each square. Fold square diagonally in half to form a triangle, point up. Holding bottom left corner of the triangle between thumb and index finger, fold the right side of the triangle over in front and down. Wrap the right side under the finger that is holding the left corner of the triangle; press together to seal. Place formed tortellini on a parchment-lined baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Repeat rolling, cutting, filling, and shaping dough until all dough and filling have been used.
• Bring the capon broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the tortellini, lower heat to medium, and simmer until tortellini float to the surface, or are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide soup and tortellini among twelve bowls, and serve.

GIANCARLO QUADALTI'S CAPON BROTH

Steps:

• Heat a small, heavy skillet over high heat. When very hot, add the onion halves cut side down and cook until very charred. Put the onion into a large stockpot along with the remaining ingredients. Add 8 quarts (32 cups) cold water and place over medium heat.
• Slowly bring the broth to a simmer. Skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Adjust heat and barely simmer, skimming as needed, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Strain the broth, discard solids and refrigerate until the fat solidifies on top. Discard the fat. Use the broth for the passatelli (see recipe).