Roast Capon

These recipes are from "Barefoot Contessa At Home", everyday recipes that you'll make over and over again. Wouldn't you love to whip up a fabulous dinner party, and spend only five minutes in the kitchen after your friends or guests arrive? Ina Garten is showing us how to do it in this new cookbook. A capon is a rooster that's been altered to become a hen; a wonderful alternative for the Holidays or for a lovely simple dinner party. The fresh & salted capon will keep up to two days in the refrigerator.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 (8 -10 lb)  fresh  capons
•  kosher salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2  lemons, quartered
• 12  sprigs fresh thyme
• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter or 4  tablespoons unsalted margarine, melted
• 2  yellow onions, sliced
• 2  lbs carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks

Directions

1. Sprinkle the bird liberally with salt, wrap it well and refrigerate until you are ready to roast it.
2. Preheat oven 425ºF.
3. Place the capon, breast side up, in a large (13"x16"x3") roasting pan and pat the outside dry with paper towels.
4. Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper.
5. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tie the wings close to the body of the capon.
6. Brush the capon with half the melted butter or margarine, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
7. Place the onions and carrots in a large bowl.
8. Add the rest of the melted butter or margarine to the carrots and onions in the bowl, plus 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper; toss well.
9. Place the onions and carrots around the capon; use lemon juice on capon and place rosemary sprigs and quarterd lemons around the bird.
10. Place the capon into the oven legs first (the back of the oven tends to be hotter than the front)and roast for 1-1/2, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.
11. Remove the capon from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil.(If the vegetables aren't browned, transfer the capon to a platter and cover with aluminum foil).
12. Return the vegetables to the oven to cook while the meat rests.
13. Allow the capon to rest for 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the vegetables.
14. Skim the fat off the pan juices and pour over the carved capon and vegetables.
15. For the whole dinner, serve; buttermilk mashed potatoes, green beans with shallots, orange-honey glazed carrots,and pumpkin mousse parfait. This is how the Barefoot Contessa served this meal.
16. Enjoy!