Roast stuffed capon with chestnuts, porcini and pan sauce

Cook the chestnuts in chicken stock and save the stock for the roast.

Make croutons, some for the stuffing and the rest for garnish. Peel the garlic by gently smashing it, remove any germ and mince or press it.

Cook the smoked bacon cut into lardons, adding more fat if needed; add onions, shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the chopped capon liver, saute briefly, season with salt and pepper and deglaze with ruby port. Spread on a tray to cool quickly and refrigerate.

Mix the chilled liver mixture with the milk-soaked bread, eggs, mascarpone, parsley, chestnuts, crushed walnuts and croutons; season with salt and pepper. Stuffing can instead be cooked in a terrine.

Remove the giblets, neck, liver, gizzards and heart from the capon. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Stuff the cavity with a spoon or pastry bag.

Truss: pierce the centre of one wing and pass through under the spine to the opposite wing, flip and go through both legs, lay on its side and tie with a double knot of butcher twine. Push the rump inward to seal the cavity.

Oil the skin, season with salt and pepper, and surround with chunks of carrot, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and about two cups of the saved chicken stock.

Roast two and a half hours, basting every so often.

Check the internal temperature: it should be 158F, 70C.

Rest the bird 30 minutes. Keep the roasted vegetables for garnish and the juices for the sauce.

Saute the porcini in duck fat and season with shallots, salt, pepper and parsley at the end.

Carve: remove the twine, cut off both legs and separate drumsticks from thighs, slice the breast into portions; removing the wishbone eases carving. Cut off the wings at the joint and open the rib cage with shears to free the stuffing.

Finish the sauce with a couple of chunks of cold butter, keeping it hot without boiling. Reheat the chestnuts with a little fat and glaze them with some of the sauce. Rebuild the capon around the stuffing to present.

Poaching method: put the bird in a large pot or Dutch oven, fill halfway with chicken stock, cover with parchment, bring to a boil and simmer 90 minutes, basting every so often. Transfer to a baking tray and roast 50 more minutes.

Roast the poached capon 50 more minutes.