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Le Chaudron recipe
Chapon farci aux marrons
Roast capon with chestnut stuffing
⏱ 240 minServes 8Hard520 kcal
A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.
01 — Ingredients8 servings
1capon, 3 kg / 6½ lb, cleaned and trussed
500 g (18 oz)vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts
300 g (11 oz)sausage meat
200 g (7 oz)chicken livers
2yellow onions
4 clovesgarlic
200 ml (¾ cup)Cognac
200 ml (¾ cup)chicken stock
100 g (3½ oz)softened unsalted butter
100 ml (½ cup)thick crème fraîche
3 tbspolive oil
1bunch of flat-leaf parsley
1bunch of chives
1 tspfour-spice blend (quatre-épices)
1 tspfine salt
1 tspfreshly ground pepper
- 1 capon, 3 kg / 6½ lb, cleaned and trussed
- 500 g (18 oz) vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts
- 300 g (11 oz) sausage meat
- 200 g (7 oz) chicken livers
- 2 yellow onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 200 ml (¾ cup) Cognac
- 200 ml (¾ cup) chicken stock
- 100 g (3½ oz) softened unsalted butter
- 100 ml (½ cup) thick crème fraîche
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bunch of chives
- 1 tsp four-spice blend (quatre-épices)
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Quantities scaled for — some (egg, lemon, garlic…) are rounded to what’s practical.
Serves 8. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.
03 — Method
- Take the capon out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking so it cooks evenly and stays moist.
- For the stuffing: peel and finely chop the 2 yellow onions and crush the garlic. Sweat the onions 5 minutes in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Cut the chicken livers into pieces and sear 3 minutes over high heat in the same pan. Add 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) cognac and flambé for 30 seconds. Pulse the livers and their juices coarsely in the food processor.
- In the large bowl, mix the sausage meat, half the chestnuts roughly crushed, the cooled onions, the liver mixture, chopped herbs, quatre-épices, salt and pepper. Knead well to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) convection. Season the inside of the capon and fill it with the stuffing without packing it too tightly. Sew the opening closed with kitchen twine.
- Rub the softened butter all over the skin. Season generously and place in the large roasting pan with the remaining chestnuts around it.
- Roast 2 hours 30 at 180°C (350°F), basting every 20 minutes. It's done when a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 75°C (165°F) and the juices run clear.
- Rest the capon 20 minutes under foil. Deglaze the pan with the stock and cream and reduce 5 minutes. Carve and serve with the chestnuts and the strained sauce.
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