Smaller than a turkey but larger than the average chicken and more flavorful than both, Capons are highly regarded for their superior taste, their extra-large breasts, and their high ratio of tender, juicy meat. Because of its generous size, the Capon is the ideal choice when hosting a large dinner party or holiday celebration. Roughly 7.5 pounds each, our Capons are sold in sets of six. With a milder taste than an average rooster could afford and a higher ratio of fat, Capon has a distinctively luxurious and wonderfully succulent meat thanks to a rich diet of milk and porridge.
A capon is essentially a rooster that has been neutered or gelded before the age of three weeks. This retards the usual muscular development of the male chicken, and instead, yields up a plump and tender bird. This centuries-old technique to improve texture is coupled with a special diet of porridge to enhance all the delicate qualities of the bird and improve its rich taste. A very special bird, the Capon has been dubbed ‘the super chicken’ due to its manifold virtues.
Not always an easy thing to find in the average grocery store, the Capon is a true luxury commodity whose origins can be traced back to ancient Rome. Though humankind has been enjoying the savory taste of chicken since at least 4000 BC, it was the Romans that invented the Capon. According to legend, the practice of Caponizing roosters started during a severe period of drought within the empire. To conserve resources laws were passed that the fattening of hens was forbidden, as it was ‘a waste of precious grain.’ A sly workaround was found by poultry breeders who began to castrate and fatten roosters instead of hens. The results were so splendid that the raising of Capons has continued into the present day.
A chef favorite and the gourmand's delight, our capons are raised humanely on small sustainable farms. Sourced by Broadleaf, one of the foremost meat purveyors in the country, our birds are of the highest quality possible, resulting in some of the best chicken you’ll ever try!