Capon with apple & nut stuffing- Served with betroot puree
A warm and colorful, family-oriented dish, perfect for Christmas. The capon is a fatty and less dry alternative to turkey and this particular recipe combines a Lebanese style with a French feel
The Taanayel farm in the Bekaa Valley, produces the highest quality capon, grain fed and organically raised. The farm, which is run by a French priest, rears a small quantity of capon just for Christmas, so be sure to order yours quickly – the latest you can leave it is three or four days before Christmas day.
Ingredients:
The capon
3.5kg capon
250g peeled almonds
100g butter
4 endives
7 baby carrots
7 baby zucchinis
100g broccoli
1 large oven bag
The stuffing
2 fennel shoots
100g of nutmeg
50g butter
2 Granny Smith apples
Parsley
15 roasted chestnuts
Salt and pepper
The honey and orange sauce
1 cup orange juice
50g acacia honey
1/2l capon juice
15g sherry vinegar
10g cinnamon powder
5g black pepper
5g cardamom
5g four spices
The puree
5 medium-sized potatoes
1 cooked beetroot
150g butter
5g nutmeg
Salt
Instructions (Serves 8):
Capon and stuffing
Start with the stuffing by washing the fennel and cutting it into small pieces. Chop the apples & roasted hazelnuts into small cubes and then add to the pan. Cook until it becomes soft and paste-like.
Mix one spoonful of honey, 50g of melted butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Wash the capon and brush on the honey mixture.
Stuff the capon with the stuffing.
Close up the hole with a toothpick. Put the capon in the well-sealed oven bag, and put it in the middle of the pre-heated oven (140°C) for 3.5 hours.
Puree
Boil the potatoes with the skin. Once cooked, peel and mash and add butter, salt, and nutmeg.
Mash the boiled beetroot and mix with the potato. Add salt and pepper.
Vegetables
Prepare the vegetables to be served on the side.
Butter a pan and cook the endives (each cut in four pieces) for 2 minutes, season well.
Do the same for the carrots, zucchini, and broccoli but lightly boil them first to keep them crunchy.
Butter a pan and fry the almonds to sprinkle on the top.
Sauce
Heat the honey in a small pot until it melts before adding the spices. Pour in the sherry vinegar, wait for 2 minutes before adding the orange juice and the juice from the capon (taken from the bag after the capon is cooked).
Reduce the sauce to thicken.
Cooking tip
Try to organize your time to serve the capon 30 minutes (maximum 1 to 2 hours) after it come out of the oven. When it is reheated it has a different (and far less delicious) taste.
To serve
Remove the capon from the bag, put it on a large plate. – Decorate the sides with the vegetables and the puree. – Sprinkle the cooked almonds all over the dish. – Serve the hot sauce in a gravy train on the side.
