The Inn at the Crossroads
  • Home
  • About
    • FAQ
    • From Readers
    • About the Author
    • Interviews and Articles
  • Latest Posts
  • Game of Thrones
    • Game of Thrones Recipes, by region
    • Game of Thrones Recipes, by meal
    • The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook
  • Cookbooks!
    • The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook
    • World of Warcraft Cookbook
    • Hearthstone Cookbook
    • Elder Scrolls Cookbook
  • Other Recipes
    • Star Wars
    • Other Fictional Foods
    • Other Historical Foods
  • Contact

Roasted Capon w/ garlic, onions, grapes & figs

“So Locke scuttled about, embarrassment and relief mingled on his face. The meal was roasted capon stuffed with garlic and onions, with grapes and figs scalded in a hot wine sauce on the side. Father Chains poured all of his usual toasts, dedicating the last to ‘Jean Tannen, who lost one family but came to another soon enough.'”

–The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch

Thoughts:

Delicious. It’s a dish that would be warm and comforting to a newly orphaned boy, yet different enough to showcase the culinary skills of the Sanza brothers and to take a reader into the world of Camorr.

The sauce, for me, was part of what made this dish sound so appealing. I’d been keeping an eye out for fresh figs, and when I finally found some, I knew I had to make this recipe asap. The final dish is a fascinating combination of sweets and savories. The onions and garlic infuse the chicken from the inside out, leaving the tender meat savory with flavor.

I wasn’t sure that the flavors of the stuffing would pair well with the sauce, but it actually works quite well. On its own, the chicken tastes of the stuffing, but with the sauce, and a bit of fruit, it becomes a sweet bite, all but overpowering the more savory elements. 

Now I just need to sort out the Rock Eel smothered in a Caramel-Brandy Sauce… :)

Recipe for Capon with Grapes & Figs

Cook’s Notes: Capon, while different from chicken in flavor and texture, is not essential to the enjoyment of this recipe. Feel free to substitute a chicken!

Main Ingredients:

  • 1 capon, or chicken
  • small onions, such as cippolini, pearl, or boiler, peeled
  • 1 head of garlic, separated and peeled
  •  2 Tbs. olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 cup seedless grapes
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 6 fresh figs, sliced in quarters
  • 1 cup red wine
  • pinch of grains of paradise, or black pepper
  • pinch of ground cloves
  • pinch of mahlep (optional, but tasty)
  • 1 Tbs. honey
  • 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400F. Stuff the bird with the small onions and the garlic, then rub down the outside of the bird with olive oil, followed by a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, which crisps up the skin. Roast in the oven for around an hour, or until the juice runs clear. 

For the sauce, drizzle your olive oil in a medium sized frying pan, over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the grapes. Cook, stirring for several minutes, until the grapes appear slightly wrinkled and cooked. Add the figs, and continue to stir for another minute more, but stopping before the  figs start to fall apart. 

To the roasted fruits, add the wine, spices, honey, and vinegar. Simmer this mixture until the sauce begins to thicken a bit, about 30 minutes or more. Serve as an accompaniment to the roast chicken/capon. 

 Like this recipe? Check out the other recipes from the Gentlemen Bastards series!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)

Related

« Westerosi Thanksgiving
Jammy Rolls »

One Response

  1. Irian says
    November 7, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    Very nice! I love the Gentlemen Bastards novels (too sad there seems to be a bet between Lynch and Martin who takes longer to finish a book *g*).

    I find it interesting that the garlic and the fruity flavors work so well together as it seems – I should check foordpairing.be on what they have to say about that (or eel and caramel).

    Reply

Leave a comment

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Official WoW Cookbook!

The Official GoT Cookbook!

Browse Old Posts by month

Want to help out? Check out our Amazon Wishlist!

***Please excuse the renovations around the Inn. Rest assured that things should return to normal soon. In the meantime, pull up a stool, have a mug of ale, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask...***

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

All content copyright 2016