About Capon

• A capon, or gelded rooster, best known as the coq in coq-au-vin, makes a great entree for a large family or small festive dinner because of its size. While large roasting chickens can weigh 5 to 7 pounds, capons range from 6 to 12 pounds in weight. Deprived of the aggressive qualities which can make a rooster both combative to raise and tough to eat, capon has large quantities of tender, mild-flavored meat resembling that of a fat hen.

How Brine Works

• Salty brine liquid enters meat tissues, adding moisture through osmosis, as cells fill with liquid. Salt further serves to denature, or uncoil, tightly twined protein fibers, resulting in more tender meat. While dense, full-flavored meats like beef may or may not benefit from brining, naturally tender proteins like capon need only a few hours' exposure to enhance both juiciness and flavor.

What Brine Contains

• Although recipes can vary, a quart of brine water for poultry generally contains a quarter-cup of salt and a quarter-cup of sugar. New York restaurant Prune's owner-chef Gabrielle Hamilton allows 16 cups of water, 1 cup of salt and 1/2 cup sugar to brine an 8-pound capon for 24 hours, adding nothing but olive oil and black pepper for roasting. North Fork chef John Ross, on the other hand, brines capon in a similar solution for just an hour. Sugar is a matter of preference, but many recipes include it to enhance browning during cooking. Brines can include peppercorns, other whole spices, aromatic herbs like thyme or marjoram, lemon slices or garlic cloves. Place ingredients in a container that will not react to food acids. Glass or ceramic are good choices, and the container should be deep enough that brine can completely cover the meat.

Dry Brining

• The size of a capon and the container needed for brining make refrigeration awkward at best. A dry brine, as its name indicates, omits the water. Salt, sugar and other ingredients are sprinkled on the surface of the meat, which is then enclosed in a plastic bag and refrigerated. In the absence of water, brining takes longer, as indicated by dry-brine turkey recipes calling for 3 days of refrigeration. Allow a full 24 hours to dry-brine a capon, rather than 12 to 24. Unless your recipe indicates specific quantities, you should plan to sprinkle on roughly twice the seasonings you would use in ordinary cooking. Be sure to sprinkle dry-brine ingredients on the inner cavity of the capon as well as on all outside surfaces. A dry brine, like a wet one, is washed off before cooking.

Roasting Your Capon

• One of the appeals of capon, like other poultry, is the contrast between moist, juicy flesh and crisp skin. To achieve crispness, your capon will benefit from being thoroughly dried with paper towels after brining is complete and the brine is washed off. Loosening skin over the breast and tucking fresh herbs underneath can facilitate further crisping, but the most important factor is starting with a dry bird. The natural fat under the skin can then work to crisp it while keeping the interior juicy.