AI-generated image
Cappone ripieno
Stuffed Christmas capon
Cappone ripieno: Piedmont and Lombardy's Christmas capon with bread, chestnut and sausage stuffing
ItalianIn Piedmont and Lombardy a capon (a large, tender cockerel) is the Christmas Day bird: some families poach it to make the broth for the agnolotti or tortellini and serve the meat after, while others roast it with a stuffing of bread, Parmesan, pork sausage and chestnuts. This is the roast version, with the stuffing cooked separately in a dish so the bird and stuffing each reach a safe temperature. A large free-range chicken or small turkey works if you can't find capon. Chef's tip: rest the capon for 30 minutes under foil after roasting; the juices settle and the breast stays moist when carved.
- Total time
- 220 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the capon
- 7 ¾ lb capon or large chickengiblets removed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 lemonhalved
- 1 ¾ oz buttersoft
- 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
For the stuffing
- 7 oz day-old white breadcrusts off, cubed
- ¾ cup milk
- 9 oz pork sausage meat
- 7 oz cooked peeled chestnutsroughly chopped
- 2 ⅛ oz Parmesangrated
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅔ oz butterfor the dish
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Take 7 ¾ lb capon or large chicken out of the fridge 1 hour before roasting. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
Step 2: Pat the bird dry. Rub 1 ¾ oz butter over the skin, season with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper inside and out, and put 3 sprigs rosemary, 8 sage leaves and 1 lemon in the cavity. Tie the legs together.
Step 3: Set it in a roasting tin, pour in 1 ¼ cups chicken stock and roast for about 2½–3 hours (about 45 minutes per kg), basting every 30 minutes.
170 minStep 4: Meanwhile make the stuffing: soak 7 oz day-old white bread in ¾ cup milk for 10 minutes and squeeze out lightly. Mix with 9 oz pork sausage meat, 7 oz cooked peeled chestnuts, 2 ⅛ oz Parmesan, 1 egg and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg. Spread in a dish greased with ⅔ oz butter.
15 minStep 5: Bake the stuffing beside the bird for the last 45 minutes, until golden on top and 165°F in the centre. A common mistake is stuffing the bird itself: the stuffing then often stays below a safe temperature while the breast overcooks.
45 minStep 6: The capon is done when a thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, reads 165°F and the juices run clear. Rest under foil for 30 minutes, then carve and serve with the stuffing and the pan juices.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cappone ripieno take?
- About 220 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Boiled pasta
The basic method for any dried pasta, from penne to spaghetti. A large pan of salted boiling water keeps the pasta from sticking, and you cook it only until just done, with a little bite left. Use it in salads, bakes or with any sauce.
Cauliflower soup with farfalle
A smooth, creamy cauliflower soup flavoured with nutmeg and Parmesan, with little bow-tie pasta stirred through. It's served with crisp, curled melba toast sprinkled with Parmesan and paprika, so it makes a light meal on its own.
Arroz con pitu de caleyaSoupy rice with chicken
A pitu de caleya is a cockerel raised free in the lanes, or caleyas, of rural Asturias; its firm, flavourful meat needs long stewing, and families around Villaviciosa and Grado still cook it for feast days. The stew is often finished as a soupy rice, so the deep chicken juices go into every grain. Use the best free-range chicken you can find. The braise includes dry white wine; replace it with extra stock and a squeeze of lemon if you want it alcohol-free. Chef's tip: brown the chicken slowly and deeply; that colour is where the flavour of the whole pot comes from.
SpanishPerfect for:Christmas