Christmas capon recipes

Christmas capon recipes

Christmas is a special time to share with friends and family. Here in Italy, whether you are with family, new friends or friends who are now your Florentine family, what's on the table at Christmas Eve, before midnight mass, is a top priority.   Why such a decadent abundance

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Thu 15 Dec 2011 1:00 AM

Christmas is a special time to share with friends and family. Here in Italy, whether you are with family, new friends or friends who are now your Florentine family, what’s on the table at Christmas Eve, before midnight mass, is a top priority.

 

Why such a decadent abundance of food at this time of the year? The answer is ‘winter.’ According to early documents Christ was more likely born in late March, mid-November or early September, some time between what some calendars now call 1 AD and 3 BC.

 

Pagans held an eight-day festival from December 18 to 25, during which time anything and everything was permitted. The courts would close so no one could be held accountable for his or her actions. There would be widespread drunkenness, singing naked in the streets, sexual indulgences, feasting and human sacrifices. People would devour human-image cookies (the ancestors of gingerbread men, which are now sweetened with spices and sugar frosting.)

 

As Christianity spread, the church decided that Christians would commemorate Christ’s birth on December 25; it was meant to fit in with existing pagan festivities. Over time the wildness and overindulgence of the eight-day pagan festival reduced in magnitude. The part of the tradition that remains is to indulge in the preparing and sharing of a great feast of luxurious food and wine (and, of course, gifts of gingerbread treats!).

 

On the eve of December 25, a traditional Florentine family’s Christmas Eve menu might start with crostini toscani (Tuscan chicken-liver pate crostini), followed by tortellini al brodo or cappelletti in brodo, then bollito misto di carne (boiled meats) or cappone bollito (boiled capon). Note that the boiled meats traditionally follow the tortellini al brodo (tortellini in meat broth used from the boiled meats but the cappelletti will be in capon broth). Next comes the whole boiled bird, traditionally served upside down so you can see he really is a quality capon (a male chicken castrated young to improve the quality of flesh for eating). The dishes keep coming: the boiled course will usually be followed by a roast such as arista (roasted pork), or roasted game. After that comes panforte or panettone.

 

With all this in mind I am festively embracing the old pagan ritual of gluttony and giving you two recipes instead of one for Christmas in Florence. Be careful: this grand feast could see you falling asleep during midnight mass on Christmas Eve!

 

Buon appetito e buon natale!

 

 

RECIPES

 

 

Cappelletti in brodo di cappone

Cappelletti are called this because they look like little hats. Smaller than a tortellino, you should aim at preparing about 20-25 per person to be served in a bowl of capon broth. This recipe serves 4.

 

Pasta dough

200g flour

2 egg yolks

 

Knead 5-10 minutes, with sprinklings of water, to form a soft elastic dough. Set aside to rest.

 

Ripieno, filling

100g ricotta

8 leaves of cavolo nero

100g petto di cappone, capon breast

1 egg yolk

45g parmigiano grattugiato

Lemon zest

Cinnamon

 

Foods for a great Florentine feast

Mince the petto di cappone or blend to smooth in a food processor. Blanch 4 of the cavolo nero leaves for 3 minutes in boiling salted water, drain and cut to a fine slice. Mix with all the other ingredients and a bit of freshly ground pepper and sea salt. The mix should be fairly dry; roll out into little balls not much bigger than the size of a pea and set aside.

 

Meanwhile roll out the pasta into thin sheets, cut into 4cm squares and put a pea-size portion of filling into the centre of each square. Moisten two edges of the pasta and fold the dough over to form a triangle. Push the two edges of the pasta down hard to join together. Then bring the two 45 degree angles together and press firmly. There you have a cappelletto! Keep going, this should make about 100. Set aside on a floured board in the fridge until dinner time.

 

Reheat the broth to boiling point (see recipe below), add the cappelletti in small handfuls, and allow 3-4 minutes of cooking time. After 2 minutes throw in the remaining cavolo nero leaves sliced into fine ribbons. Serve as your second course in individual bowls accompanied by a special glass of something Tuscan: my choice this time is a 2007 Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo.

 

Cappone bollito

1 cappone, capon

½ chicken

1 small carrot

2 sticks celery

3 fogli di alloro, laurel or bay leaves

1 ripe tomato

Parsley stalks

6 peppercorns

3 slices ginger

Lemon zest

 

Put everything but the cappone and the ripe tomato into a large boiling pot and bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling ease the capon into the pot; this allows the skin to shrink around the bird for better presentation. Let simmer for two hours, ensuring it does not boil rapidly or the cooking stock will become cloudy; skim the fat and scum from the surface from time to time. About halfway through cooking add a small fistful of rock salt and the tomato. Once the two hours are up, remove the bird and let rest. Strain the broth and season to taste, use for the cappelletti.

 

Traditionally, it’s served upside-down and whole so you can prove you are serving a quality capon (by showing the string where it’s been stitched after castration). I prefer to divide mine into pieces with the bones still in, for each person to help themselves. Some like to serve the cappone bollito with a timbale of green rice, but with the length of a Christmas menu I prefer a simple salsa verde which also offers a nice freshness.

 

Wine Match My wine choice for this course is Bellaria’s Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2006.

 

 

 

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