Ingredients
- 1 (8- to 10-pound) fresh capon
- 1 kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 12 sprig fresh thyme
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoon yellow onions, sliced
- 2 pound carrots cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks
Preparation
Baking Directions:
When you bring the capon home, sprinkle the outside of the bird liberally with salt.
Wrap it well and refrigerate until you are ready to roast it.
The capon can sit in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the capon, breast side up, in a large (13 x 16 x 3-inch) roasting pan and pat the outside dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper.
Place the lemons and thyme inside the cavity.
Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tie the wings close to the body of the capon.
Brush the capon with half of the melted butter, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Place the onions and carrots in a large bowl.
Add the rest of the melted butter to thee onion and carrots in a large bowl.
Add the rest of the melted butter to the onion and carrot mixture plus another 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper and toss well.
Place the onions and carrots around the capon.
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 hours, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
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.
Return the vegetables to the oven to cook while the meat rests.)
Allow the capon to rest for 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the vegetables.
Skim the fat off the pan juices and pour over the carved capon and vegetables.
