Roasted Capon with Tarragon Herb Butter Recipe
SERVES: 6-8
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2.5 hours
COURSE: Main
Capons are incredibly plump and juicy, which allows them to roast beautifully. Here, we cover one with a fragrant compound butter starring fresh tarragon, thyme, and rosemary, plus sunny lemon zest. This not only adds flavor, but also helps the skin brown in the oven (and we all know that’s the best part). The finished dish is tender, tasty, and ready to wow your guests as a stunning main course. Don’t forget to have some Citarella sides for serving — our Roasted Root Vegetables and Sautéed String Beans would be perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 Capon (roughly 8lb), removed from fridge an hour before cooking
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh Rosemary
- 1 lemon
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh tarragon and parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Remove giblets from capon, rinse and dry thoroughly. Season liberally with salt and pepper, making sure to not forget the inside of the capon.
- In a bowl add softened butter and herbs. Zest the lemon into the bowl, mix together, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Rub butter mixture all over capon. Place on foil lined baking sheet.
- Cut the lemon and onion into eighths. Scatter lemon, onion, and garlic cloves around capon, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast capon until the temperature in the thigh reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This should take about 2 hours. Rotate the pan every 30 min to ensure even cooking.
- Remove from oven and rest for 15-20 minutes. At this point the internal temperature will reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place on serving platter with roasted onion, garlic, and lemon around capon. Spoon all drippings on top of capon and vegetables.
- Slice and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve alongside your favorite Citarella sides and enjoy!
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