Hay-Roasted Capon
A cold Sunday afternoon sent me rummaging through my pantry for the bundle of culinary hay I had bought on a whim, and the result reminded me of the earthy, woodsmoke-scented kitchens of the Jura. I…
Ingredients
- 1, about 5 pounds whole whole capon
- 4 ounces food-grade culinary hay
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, finely grated
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 shallots shallots, halved
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
- Remove the capon from the refrigerator 45 minutes before roasting so it loses its chill and cooks evenly. Pat the skin and cavity completely dry with paper towels; dry skin browns more readily and prevents the hay from steaming the bird. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 450°F (230°C). Use only food-grade culinary hay sold for cooking, never hay treated with pesticides, bedding hay, or decorative straw.
- In a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of the softened butter with the grated garlic and 1 teaspoon of the sea salt. Loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs with your fingers, taking care not to tear it, then push about two-thirds of the garlic butter underneath. Rub the remaining butter over the entire outside of the capon. This protects the lean breast meat while the fat slowly bastes it.
- Season the cavity with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt and place 4 thyme sprigs inside. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips underneath the body; compacting the bird helps the breasts and legs finish closer together. Leave the seasoned capon on a plate while you prepare the roasting vessel.
- Choose a heavy 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven or deep roasting pot with a tight-fitting lid. Scatter half of the 4 ounces of hay across the bottom, then arrange the halved shallots and the remaining 4 thyme sprigs over it. Set the capon breast-side up on this bed and loosely cover the bird with the rest of the hay, leaving a small opening around the neck area so steam can escape. Do not pack the hay tightly; a loose layer allows the hot air and aromatic smoke to circulate.
- Cover the Dutch oven and roast at 450°F for 20 minutes to start browning and heat the hay quickly. Reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) without opening the lid and continue roasting for 70 minutes. The covered vessel keeps the meat moist while the hay gives off a warm, toasted aroma; a faint wisp of smoke is normal, but strong smoke means the hay is too dry or the oven is running hot.
- After the first 90 minutes of total roasting, carefully remove the lid and brush the hay aside with tongs, avoiding the hot steam. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast without touching bone, then into the inner thigh. Continue roasting uncovered at 350°F for 15 to 35 minutes, checking every 10 minutes, until the breast reaches 160°F and the thigh reaches 170 to 175°F; the skin should be deep golden and the leg should wiggle easily in its joint. If the skin darkens before the meat is ready, tent only the breast with foil.
- Transfer the capon to a carving board and loosely tent it with foil. Rest for 25 minutes; the breast temperature should rise to about 165°F, while the juices thicken and stay in the meat instead of flooding the board. Strain the juices from the Dutch oven through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, discard the spent hay and thyme, and reserve the shallots for serving.
- For the sauce, place a medium saucepan over medium heat and pour in the strained roasting juices. Add the 1 cup dry white wine and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon if needed, until the liquid smells fruity and has reduced by roughly one-third. Add the 2 cups chicken stock, raise the heat to medium-high, and boil gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
- Lower the saucepan to low heat and whisk in the 1/2 cup crème fraîche until smooth. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes without boiling; vigorous boiling can make the dairy split. Taste and adjust the salt only after reducing, since both the capon juices and stock may already be seasoned. The finished sauce should be glossy, pourable, and lightly tart, with the hay aroma in the background rather than dominating.
- Untie the capon and carve it by removing each leg first, separating the thighs from the drumsticks, then slicing the breasts across the grain into thick pieces. Arrange the meat on a warmed platter with the roasted shallots, spoon the white-wine crème fraîche sauce around it, and serve immediately with the remaining sauce at the table. Present the capon with dark bread or buttered winter vegetables so the sauce and juices have something sturdy to catch.
Watch the Hay-Roasted Capon cooking video
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