Classic French Recipes | Christmas roast capon with truffle

Here’s an alternative to dry, boring old turkey this Christmas. Why not follow the French lead and spruce up your roast chicken with some black diamonds? Adding sliced truffle to the mix lends a touch of fragrant glamour on the festive table. It’s a very simple dish, which will live long on the tastebuds and in the memory!
There are many takes on this dish, with some using sausage meat for a stuffing. We like this one by l’Atelier des Chefs.


Ingredients

One whole capon (2kg)
Two sprigs of thyme
4 whole garlic cloves
Six pinches of fine salt
2cl olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
40g unsalted butter
20g black truffles


Preheat the oven to 170°C.




Use a soft brush and a little water to remove any dirt from the truffle. Dry thoroughly and then thinly slice.

Season the inside of the capon and then add the thyme and the garlic cloves. Gently lift the skin from the breast of the capon and carefully insert the slices of truffle.

Brush the capon with melted butter and season with salt.


Heat a large pan and add a drizzle of olive oil then colour the capon on both sides before transferring to the oven and roast for one hour.

Check that the capon is cooked by inserting a knife to the wishbone. If the capon is cooked, the juices will run clear.
 Once cooked, remove the capon from the oven and rest before serving.

As an extra indulgent treat, why not serve with truffled mashed potato?

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