The capon was once far more popular than it is today, indeed, it has been a luxury food since Roman times. Just last night we saw the Verdi opera Falstaff, in which that legendary glutton was charged for 12 capons at a shilling apiece - the great man would never subsist upon a mere hen!

A capon is a big chicken. The young male is castrated and allowed to grow to 6-12 pounds. The meat is tender and noticeably more flavorful than a roasting chicken prepared the same way.

I got the capon for Annette's Fancy French Birthday feast at Piantedosi's Butcher Shop in Plymouth, MA. Erik Piantedosi is my go-to guy for all the fancy meats I write about on this site. His advice in as good as his products!