what are capons
Compared to rooster meat, which can be quite gamy, capon meat is tender and flavorful. It is also relatively fatty and has a high proportion of white meat. The absence of sex hormones causes the difference in taste and texture between capon meat and rooster meat. The lack of the hormone also allows more fat to form on the bird’s muscles making them tender and buttery. Due to the nature of sex hormones, the rooster must be castrated before it reaches the age of maturity, otherwise, the changes in muscle density will have already occurred.
Why castrations
Castration makes the male chickens less aggressive too, which means less fighting among the birds. While roosters typically need to be separated, capons can usually be penned together without fear of feathers flying. They are also less energetic than other poultry, which helps their meat stay tender. While the lack of testosterone does mean that capons are smaller than the average rooster, a capon is still larger than an average chicken.
How to cook capons
You can prepare capon like any other poultry dish. Typically, capons are roasted and the procedure for doing so is similar to roasting a chicken; due to its larger size, however, the cooking time will be longer.
Traditionally, roosters are braised. For instance, the classic French dish coq au vin involves braising a rooster in red wine. That is because their meat is tougher than chicken meat and they are usually slaughtered at an older age, which toughens the meat as well. As such, braising is also a good cooking technique for preparing capon.
About Capons
Capon surgery
William Shakespeare mentioned capon in the famous “All the world’s a stage” monologue from his play As You Like It
(written c.1600). He similarly describes capon as a food of the
wealthy. The monologue describes human life as consisting of seven
stages, and the fifth stage is a middle-aged man who has reached the
point where he has acquired wisdom and wealth. The monologue describes
the fifth stage as: “The Justice, In fair round belly, with a good
capon lin’d”. In addition his character Sir John Falstaff is described as or implied to be fond of capons.
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