Capons, guinea fowl and tacchinelle they are certainly not poultry meats that are cooked every day, but at Christmas they cannot miss. And this because, if Italians at the table love the tradition (according to a study by Doxa / Unaitalia 8 out of 10 they prefer grandma's recipes to dishes with exotic, sophisticated or veg flavors), this is even more true during the Christmas holidays.
"These are the central ingredients of many preparations that families throughout Italy bring to the table for holidays for generations – commented Aldo Muraro, President of Unaitalia (National Union of Meat and Egg Agri-food Chain) – From the Ligurian boiled capon to the Emilia Romagna cappelletti, up to the Sicilian "busiata" pasta turkey, these meats remain the protagonists of the menu of feast days, without geographical distinctions. "
Here then three recipes to bring this meat to the table, all with a tasty filling.
Baked stuffed capon
The recipe is from Vatinee Suvimol of www.athaipianist.ifood.it, it requires 20 minutes preparation time and two and a half hours of cooking.
Ingredients for 4 people
1 Capon 1 kg boned and opened (ready to be sewn up)
1 bunch of aromatic herbs (sage, rosemary and bay leaf)
For the stuffing:
200 g of chopped veal
3 tablespoons of grated bread
1 tablespoon of macaroons
1 tablespoon of raisins
extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper
mixed spices
Preparation
Buy a clean and boned capon from the butcher. Then place the filling in the belly, mixing all the ingredients together. Close the capon with kitchen string, then place it in a baking dish and pour in the oil, salt, spices and herbs. Bake in a hot oven at 210 degrees for 2 and a half hours taking care to check the cooking (the surface must be golden, turn the pan if necessary). Serve to taste with the sauce that you have formed and with vegetables of your choice.
Guinea-fowl with apples and orange stuffed with pancetta
To prepare this recipe by Monica Giustina of www.onecakeinamillion.ifood.it it takes 20 minutes and two hours of cooking.
Ingredients for 4 people
1 clean 1.5 kg guinea fowl
1 aromatic bunch (sage, rosemary and bay leaf)
6 slices fresh 6-8 mm bacon
2 oranges
150 ml white wine
4 Red Love apples (but Renette or Granny Smith are fine too)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Get the butcher to clean the guinea fowl, including head and legs. Flame the bird so as to remove any remaining feathers, then place two slices of salted and peppered bacon in the belly, then the aromatic bunch tightly closed with a kitchen string, and another slice of bacon, then tie the remaining ends together of the legs with other string so as to close a little the opening of the belly.
Put three tablespoons of oil on the bottom of a high pan, place the guinea-fowl on it and squeeze the orange juice over it, add plenty of salt and pepper, take a round of oil and bake in a hot oven at 210 degrees.
When it is beautiful golden (about 20 minutes) turn it upside down and cook another 20-30 minutes so that it becomes crunchy even on the other side.
Remove the pan from the oven and pour the white wine, cover with a lid and bake for about 40 minutes.
Lower the oven to 180 degrees and chop the pancetta into small cubes; peel the apples, remove the core and cut into 2.5 / 3 cm cubes, then remove the guinea-fowl from the oven, remove the lid, turn it upside down and place the chopped bacon on top, and the apples on the sides, then bake.
When the pancetta on the surface is well browned (after 15-20 minutes check that the apples are cooked but do not fall apart), remove from the oven, remove the filling, cut into pieces and serve with the sauce, apples and bacon, and possibly potatoes boiled or sautéed.
Stuffed turkey with sausage and chestnuts
A recipe by Alessandra Corona of www.lacucinadiziaale.ifood.it.
Ingredients for 8 people
1 2.7 Kg turkey already cleaned and gutted
3 sausages
1 shallot
100 g of chestnuts
50 g of butter
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
salt
pepper
For the wet:
50 g of butter
100 ml of vegetable or meat broth
100 ml of white wine
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons of flour
For the contours:
8 medium potatoes
5 shallots
4 slices of orange
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Preparation
Put the butter in pieces in a bowl and let it soften (you can help it by passing it in the microwave for a few seconds). Combine half of the chopped thyme and rosemary, a nice pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well to incorporate the herbs. Lift the turkey skin slightly, being very careful not to tear it. Gently rub your fingers between the flesh and the skin. Take some butter and start spreading it on the meat, under the skin, massaging and trying to reach even the most distant points. I advise you to do this the day before and then keep the turkey well covered with foil in the refrigerator. Prepare the filling by adding the sausage pulp, the chopped shallot, a pinch of salt, pepper and the remaining thyme and rosemary in a bowl. Mix well. Take the turkey again and fill the cavity with the filling. Tie the thighs with a kitchen string. Put the turkey in a baking pan with a little oil.
For the wet:
Combine the butter, wine and broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Brush the turkey abundantly with the syrup, cover it with aluminum foil, then place in the preheated oven for 45 minutes at 160 degrees. After this time, wet the turkey again and abundantly. Cover and continue cooking for another 45 minutes. After this time, place the meat cooking bottom in a saucepan and set aside.
For the contours:
Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into 4 parts. Peel the shallots and cut them in half. Add everything in a bowl, add the orange slices and season with oil, salt and pepper. Stir, then add the potatoes and shallots in the pan (once the first hour and a half of cooking has passed).
At this point, wet the turkey again and continue cooking for the last hour, keeping it uncovered this time.
For the sauce:
Take the bottom of the turkey that you kept aside, put it on the heat and add the flour. Mix well with a whisk, to avoid lumps. Bring to the boil and cook for a couple of minutes. If it gets too thick, add more broth. You will have to get a sauce that veils the back of a spoon (but if you like it you can keep it more or less thick).
Serve the hot turkey, accompanied by the sauce.
