Braised Capon With Pearl Onions Recipes

BRAISED CAPON WITH PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Cut breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wing drumsticks of capon into 3-inch pieces, and trim away as much excess fat as possible (or have a butcher do this for you when you buy the capon). Reserve backbone and wing tips to make stock, if desired. Place onions in a bowl of warm water, and let stand 15 minutes to loosen their skins. Peel pearl onions, and set them aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season capon pieces with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Season matzo meal with remaining salt and pepper, and dredge the capon pieces in matzo meal, tapping off any excess.
• Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in a large, wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Arrange as many capon pieces as will fit in a single layer. Cook, turning to brown all sides well, about 10 to 15 minutes, adding remaining margarine as needed. As pieces brown, transfer them to a platter and add more pieces. When all pieces have been browned, pour off the accumulated fat. Add wine to the casserole, scrape up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon, and boil for about 1 minute. Add the capon pieces and onions, and scatter the top with thyme sprigs. Add stock, bring to a boil, and cover. Place casserole in oven, and cook until tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove casserole from oven. Lift out capon pieces and onions with a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl, and set casserole aside to let liquid cool. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. When cool, cover casserole and the bowl with capon pieces, and refrigerate them overnight.
• To serve, remove casserole from refrigerator, and scrape off solidified fat. Place over medium-high heat, and cook until liquid has reduced by about a quarter, skimming foam from the surface as necessary, about 20 minutes. Lower heat to medium low; return capon and onions to casserole, and cook, covered, about 15 minutes. Remove cover, raise heat to medium high, and cook until sauce has thickened and capon is heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

BAKED CAPON WITH PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Brine bird: Pour the cold water into a 5-gallon stock pot.
• Dissolve the salt and sugar in a little bit of warm water, and add it to the cold water.
• Add the peppercorns.
• Place the bird breast-side down in the stock pot and cover.
• Store in the refrigerator and turn the bird once during brining.
• (I didn't turn it, but I did put a plate on top of the bird to completely submerge it in the brine.) Brine for 6 to 10 hours (I brined 22 hours, which was fine because this brine has less salt than some others).
• Take it out of the brine, rinse and pat dry, then put it back in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 6 hours.
• (From what I've read, this step will cause the water to move away from the skin, resulting in crisper skin.) Boil potatoes in a pot of salted water flavored with a splash of vinegar until al dente.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter, and add bay leaf, juniper berries, paprika, cinnamon, chestnuts and apple.
• Add potatoes; fry until golden.
• Sprinkle with bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper, and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Fill capon with the potato stuffing.
• Truss the legs, and tuck the wing tips under the body so that they don't burn during cooking.
• Rub the capon with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast until skin begins to brown (about 30 minutes).
• Add onions and the wine, and cook for about 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the inner thigh registers 175°F to 180°F.
• (My 4 1/2 lb bird cooked in 2 hours total cook time.) Let the bird rest for 30 minutes before carving.

BRAISED ONIONS A LA JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• If you are using fresh pearl onions, they are easier to peel if you blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then run them under cold water to cool.
• If you are using frozen pearl onions, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
• Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible without breaking apart.
• Pour in the stock, add the herbs, and cover.
• Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
• Remove the herbs, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.