666. Capon Stuffed With Truffles, A La Perigord

This should be prepared according to the directions given for dressing a turkey after the same fashion (No. 660).

667. Capon, A La Godard

The capon being drawn and singed, trim the feet and wings; then remove the angular part of the breast-bone by inserting a strong-bladed knife, taking care not to tear the breast nor cut the fillets. Next, cut the under part of the thighs close up to the bend of the joint, and by introducing the finger through the vent, loosen the skin all round the thighs in order to facilitate the slipping of the legs inside, so as to show the feet only. Then lay the capon flat on its breast, and having turned the skin of the breast upon the back, and twisted the pinions round to make them lie even with the back, run a crussing-needle and string through the pinion on the left, pass again through the lower joint of the pinion, and from thence through the upper joints of the thighs; the needle must afterward be brought round and inserted through the other wing in the same manner; the strings should then be drawn tight, and fastened. The legs must now be secured by running the needle through the upper part, leaving the drum-sticks under, and then again the needle should be drawn through the back, and tlie strings tightened to secure their position ; the tail-end must be pushed into the vent, and the string passed through it twice (up and down), and tied : all this giving to the capon an appearance of plumpness. It should then be rubbed with half a lemon, and (Trapped in a sheet of buttered paper (to keep it white), and placed in a stew-pan with some white poe'le or stock, to braize; for which purpose it must be first put on the stove-fire, and after it has boiled, placed by the side to continue gently simmering for about an hour and a quarter. Just before dinner-time, take the capon out of the braize, and drain it on to a napkin; remove the strings, ornament the breast with some contises fillets of fowls, dish it up and garnish it with a richly-composed ragout a la Godard (No. 181), and serve.

When this remove is intended for a large party, it will be necessary to serve two capons; in which case, an ornamental croustade of bread should be put in the centre of the dish, and the capons at each end, placing at either end of the dish, a fine, larded heart-sweetbread ; two nicely-trimmed calf's ears with a black truffle on each, should also be placed on the flanks. Fill up the intervening spaces with groups of quenelles of fowl, large truffles, cocks'-combs and mushrooms; in the centre of the croustade put either a larded sweetbread, or a group of truffles - or these may be replaced by inserting six ornamental skewers garnished each with a large double cock's-comb, a mushroom, a truffle, a quenelle, and a large cray-fish. Sauce the remove with Allemande or Bechamel, and serve.