Chef Gabriel Kreuther of The Modern – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

Stuffing:

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium-sized onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 5 ounces or 5 slices of bread, crust removed and cut into cubes
• 3 ounces heavy cream
• 6 chicken livers
• 3 ounces foie gras terrine, diced small
• 5 - 8 gratings nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons chopped chives
• 15 chestnuts, cooked, peeled, and halved
• 2 egg yolks, lightly whisked
• 1 egg white, lightly whisked
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Capon:
• 1 capon, approximately 8 pounds, inside cavity rinsed and outside patted dry
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Sauce:
• 2 ounces vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 medium-sized onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, peeled and finely diced
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 2 bay leaves, finely chopped
• 1 fresh sage leaf, finely chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 ounces dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 quart water
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Horseradish Puree:
• 2 pounds horseradish
• 2 - 3 Tablespoons crème fraîche
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Vegetables:
• 3 medium-sized kohlrabi, peeled and diced
• 1 pound salsify, peeled and diced
• ½ pound sunchoke, peeled and diced
• 1 medium-sized daikon, peeled and diced
• ½ pound crosnes
• 1 bunch scallion, cut into 2-inch sticks
• 4 medium-sized turnips, peeled and diced
• 8 pieces baby fennel, cut into 2-inch sticks
• 1 medium-sized black radish, diced
• 16 baby radishes
• 24 baby carrots
• 16 chestnuts, boiled in salted water and peeled
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For the Stuffing:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 Tablespoons of the butter and 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Place the onions into a pan, add the cubed bread and set aside. In another pot bring the cream to a boil, and pour over the bread mixture, mixing well. Set aside to cool and to allow the bread to absorb the cream. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat add the remaining butter and olive oil and sauté the chicken livers until medium-rare, or for about 3 minutes. Allow to cool, then chop the livers roughly and mix them into the stuffing. Combine the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

For the Capon:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Fill the cavity of the capon with the stuffing and sew the opening closed. (Any remaining stuffing can be placed in an oiled dish and covered with foil; this stuffing can be baked in the same oven along with the capon for about 30 minutes.) Truss the wings together. To hold the shape of the bird during roasting, secure crosswise with string 3 times. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with the olive oil. Set the stuffed capon in the pan, breast side up, and cover the wing tips with foil. Roast at 400° F for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325° F and roast for 2 hours, or until the juice runs clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife. Baste with pan drippings every 15 minutes.

For the Sauce:
Place the oil and garlic in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Sauté all the vegetables until golden brown, or for about 4 minutes. Add the flour and the herbs, and stir in the tomato paste and the white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce by ¼, then stir in the chicken stock and the water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Strain and reduce by half. Keep warm and set aside.

For the Horseradish Puree:
Peel and cut the horseradish into small pieces. Cook in salted water for 1 hour, or until tender. Puree in blender, add crème fraîche, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside, and reheat just before serving.

For the Vegetables:
Blanch each vegetable in salted boiling water; strain and shock the vegetables in ice water. Strain again and set aside. In a buttered large skillet over medium-high heat toss all the vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Keep warm and set aside.

To serve:
Remove the roast from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Stir the pan drippings into the sauce. On each serving plate, place 1-2 slices of capon on a pool of horseradish puree. Next to the roast, place a mound of the vegetables and a spoonful of stuffing. Ladle the sauce over the capon.

Wine Pairing:
1999 Châteauneuf du Pape, Château Mourre du Tendre