The instructions for preparing capons for cooking are as follows: For Cleaning and Trussing - Pluck off all the feathers and singe a capon, chop off the head close to the back, remove the crop, and loosen the liver and other inside parts to the breast end. Cut around the vent, draw it clean, flatten the breast-bone with a cutlet bat, cut off the toenails and tuck the feet down close to the legs.

For Boiling - Put the forefinger through the interior, under the skin of the legs, raise it, make holes in them, and push in the legs. Pass a skewer into the first joint of the pinion, bring the middle of the leg close to it; push a skewer through the middle of the leg into the body, and repeat this operation on the other side. Place the liver and gizzard in the pinions, turn the ends or points on the back, and fasten the legs into position by tieing them with a string.

Boiled Capon

Draw a fat capon, be careful not to remove the fat from the rump; peel about one-half pound of truffles, boil them in a little Madeira; take the trimmings of the truffles and pound them with an equal amount of breadcrumbs, add half a goose's fat liver, the whites of two eggs, and a few tablespoonfuls of scraped bacon; rub through a sieve. Truss the capon with its legs forced under the skin, rub it with lemon, and tie on it thin slices of bacon fat: put it in a pan with some slices of vegetables and bacon. Place in sufficient white broth to cover, and over all a piece of buttered paper, and boil gently. When cooked drain and take off the string. Put a layer of the forcemeat on a dish, put the capon over and garnish both sides with white cockscombs.

Boiled Barded Capon With Mushrooms

Take a young capon, singe and draw it, fill it within with bread-stuffing of veal or forcemeat, with the stems of some chopped mushrooms added. Put a slice of fat bacon on the breast, score a little and tie it on. Put it in a stewpan with enough unskimmed broth to cover it, add spices and aromatics to flavor. Place the pan on a slow fire, broil one hour. When it is cooked take it from the pan, skim off the fat from the stock, and make a little white sauce reduced with the liquor, in which a few mushrooms have been boiled. Add the yolks of two eggs to thicken it. When ready to serve, remove the string and bacon.

Braised Capon

Take a capon, draw and truss it, put it into a braisingpan with half a pound of fat bacon, sliced; add one tablespoonful of butter and a pint of veal broth. Place it on a brisk fire, which will give the capon a brown color. Then remove it to a moderate fire, and put some hot coals or embers on the top, and braise the capon for an hour. Skim off the fat from the liquor, add half a pint of good stock, reduce it to a half-glaze, strain and pour over the capon. Capons may be stuffed with truffles, chestnuts, sausages, olives, or plain veal stuffing.

Braised Capon, Chipolata Style

Choose a fine young capon, draw and singe it, and truss as if for boiling. Peel a lemon, slice it, lay the slices on the capon, and support them with thin layers of bacon fat. Tie them up, and put the capon into a stewpan spread with vegetables and trimmings of fat. Allow it to cook for a few minutes, and add ten or twelve ounces of pickled pork. Then pour in sufficient good broth and white wine to cover one-half the height of the capon. Boil it up and put the capon on a moderate fire, so that it will braise slowly. It will be necessary to turn it several times, and will require about an hour and a quarter to cook thoroughly. When done, remove the pan from the fire, and twenty minutes before serving put about twenty small chipolata sausages, or one large common sausage (not too thick), into the pan. Chipolata sausages are made of poultry meat, bacon, and bread-pulp. When ready take out the capon, strain through a sieve the cooking stock, remove the fat, and reduce it to half-glaze, adding a few tablespoonfuls of good brown sauce and two or three dozen fresh mushrooms. When it is sufficiently reduced add the sausages, the pork cut into squares, twenty-four cooked chestnuts, and the same number of small glazed onions. Place the capon on a dish, garnish with onions, sausages, etc., and serve with the sauce.