Where to buy Fresh Capon?

First-time poster here.

I've always loved capon, and have roasted a few in my time, though it has been about a decade. In the past, I've gotten frozen birds. But I'd like to try a fresh bird this time around. I've done a search here and discovered that I may be able to find what I want at Harrison's in Glenview, or possibly Kosher Meat & Poultry in Skokie.

Any other suggestions for where to find fresh capon? I live in the city (Lincoln Square-ish), so I'd be happy to find a place in town if possible. Fox & Obel? Green City Grocer?

I'll report back on where I end up buying my capon from. Based on an old post I discovered in my search here, I found a great-sounding recipe that I may try: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roas ... gnac-sauce

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Call John's Live Poultry.-Dick

Thanks, Dick! I actually drove past John's (on Fullerton, right?) on my way to Brickyard Mall last week. I'll give them a call. From what little I know about live poultry though, it seems they are minimally processed. But how "minimally?" Is it to the point where I'd have to pluck feathers and pull out the gizzards myself, or will John's do that?

John's will do all that for you. They always ask me if I want it "plucked and gutted, head and feet off - right?"
So I assume you can get it in just about any state you want.

John's will supply anyway you want. Many ethnic groups require the head and feet attached.
Minimally processed refers to the fact the bird is cleaned, defeathered and not injected or 'koshered'. -Dick

I've never had Capon before... I know what it is but I've just never had it. In your opinions, is there a huge difference in flavor from a chicken, or is it subtle? Thanks

I would not say there is a huge difference in flavor, but a Capon is certainly richer than chicken - especially the white meat. I'd say that the white meat on a capon is as moist as the dark meat of a chicken.

So I called up John's Live Poultry and asked a few questions. I'll go in tomorrow to get my capon, which will give me a day for its muscles to relax (apparently if you cook it right away, it'll be tough due to rigor mortis). I have to confess that I am a bit concerned about being squeamish about the whole experience of buying live poultry. I may become a vegetarian afterward.

Or not. But I'm just sayin'

No shop called Kosher Meat and Poultry in Skokie but you might try Hungarian Kosher Market on Oakton

Weinstein5, the Skokie place was mentioned in a old thread I found though a search of the archives, but it may have been 5-10 years old.


I called both John’s and the Live Poultry place on Western Ave – decided to go to John’s. So I went to John's yesterday morning. I expected that I would be taken in back so I could choose my own bird. I thought that if I couldn't hack it, then I don't deserve to be a meat-eater! Well it turns out that the capon was already waiting for me (I bet the guy I spoke to last night picked one out and slaughtered it for me). So I dodged that bullet!
The place of course smells... like a chicken coop. My Grandma had a small farm in rural PA that included a few cows, pigs, and a chicken coop. I would always go into the barn whenever we visited, so this is a smell that while unpleasant, didn't bother me much. In fact it brought back some memories. Honestly, John's Live Poultry is a dump. It had passed health inspections though. There was a hand-written sign that said its poultry was locally raised, grain fed, and never had any preservatives (no word about hormone- or antibiotic-free though). Those last two are important to me, so I may not return (but then again, I may change my mind after tasting the capon!

Their capon was only $1.89 a pound, which is really cheap! The young man behind the counter weighed the bird - about 6 pounds - and told me it'd be $13. It was a little more than that, but he rounded it down. I handed him a $20. When he gave me the change, he held the bills by the smallest corner to avoid touching them as much as possible - which I appreciated, since I'm not sure he washed his hands. Glad I didn't use my credit card!

As I picked up my capon, I noticed that the bird was still warm....

My capon is brining right now, I’ll roast it tonight using the recipe I linked above. I’m excited! I’ll let you know how it turns out.

I've been to many live animal processing facilities, John's is no better nor any worse than any of them. If you are put off by purchasing live animals or recently processed, have a fear of any type of hormone or antibiotic and people touching your money or credit cards then best if you shop at your local spic and span grocery store. I can assure you that the risk of your hands touching deadly agents is not less at your grocery store but perception is reality.
I just can't fathom how purchasing a neutered rooster can be such an ordeal!-Dick

Fresh capons are generally available at Treasure Island, especially around the holidays.

And speaking of high-end fresh poultry availability, they have gone wild this year, and are carrying fresh Cryopak-ed D'Artagnan pheasant, squab, quail, Guinea hen, and duck breasts/confit, as well as rabbit. Fresh non-D'Artagnan ducks are available, too, for $3.59/lb. Worth checking into, IMO.

I've been to the Windy City Poultry Co. (4601 S Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60632 (773) 847-7368) many years ago. I don't know if they have Capons. I would guess and say they do because when I walked in, there were signs with so much to choose from? We went in for a chicken. The man brought us out 2 chickens to choose from. We picked one out and he plopped the poor thing on a scale. He then went to the back room with the chickens. A few minutes later, we paid him and grabbed our bag. The bag was so warm, I was afraid to carry it! When I got home and unwrapped it, I felt so sorry for this chicken! I didn't even want to cook the poor thing...that was just living minutes ago. I ended up cooking it, but, I couldn't get myself to eat it. I haven't bought a live chicken since and don't plan on doing so, ever.

Thanks for the Treasure Island tip, sundevilpeg.

So... my capon was about 6 lbs, and the recipes I was following for roasting it were based on 8-9 lb capons. Also, I use a convection oven which cooks 10-20% faster than regular ovens. Even though I tried to take both those factors into account, sadly I overcooked my bird by quite a bit. The breast meat was tough and dry. But despite this, the FLAVOR was still wonderful! The mushroom sauce from the Pepin recipe was a big hit, and helped save the meal.

I am eager to try this again soon, this time making certain I do not overcook my capon. I'll dig out an old recipe I've used before, calling for a Thanksgiving-style bird: poultry seasoning, with fresh grated nutmeg, and a drizzle of honey near the end of roasting, plus a sage-sausage-cornbread stuffing.

I am so grateful for all the very helpful advice you have given me - thank you all! I'll be back.

FearlessRaccoon wrote:sadly I overcooked my bird by quite a bit. The breast meat was tough and dry.

Brine bird, unless it is a kosher capon. 1/2-cup kosher salt, 1/2-cup white sugar per gallon of water, taking displacement into account, overnight.

Buy an analog instant read thermometer, about $7 at most grocery stores, bird is done when internal temperature reaches 155-breast, 165 thigh.

Eat, enjoy, have seconds.

[/quote]Brine bird, unless it is a kosher capon. 1/2-cup kosher salt, 1/2-cup white sugar per gallon of water, taking displacement into account, overnight.

Buy an analog instant read thermometer, about $7 at most grocery stores, bird is done when internal temperature reaches 155-breast, 165 thigh.
[/quote]

Thanks PE, I did brine it, but only for about 4 hours. I'll try your brining strategy next time. And I was using a Polster (?) digital thermometer probe with an alarm that sounds when it reaches the predetermined temp. I wonder how accurate it is. I know that they don't last forever, so perhaps an analog thermometer is the safer bet.

You Posted on Dec 8 that you purchased the bird and on December 22 about cooking results.
When did you actually cook the bird?
Brining will not do anything but over salt an unpalatable bird. A top quality capon or indeed any top poultry requires no brining and just minimal salting of the interior and exterior before roasting.
Using a thermometer to determine when done can be somewhat of an art. Most done temps on probes are too high and even birds should be pulled before the listed temps and rested for 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the size.
I suspect a small stuffed bird, roasted tool long at too high a temperature in a convection oven.
I have a Viking with convection and use this method to roast and one really has to keep on top of not only the temperature but temperature rise rate. Usually a stuffed bird is roasted at a lower temperature than an unstuffed bird to keep the breast from overshooting. We are now experimenting with an iGrill which also allows one to see the rate of change of temperature graphically and pull if that rate is too fast. We made a Chateaubriand the other night and were going to 110F with a 20 minute rest in a 450F convection oven. I noticed the rate of change ramped up sharply and puled the meat at 105 and by the time I was through cutting the roast it was a nice pink rare.
Analog or digital, it really doesn't matter, I have a few of both types. What is really required is experimentation on how your probe works for you.
The best you can do is try again at a lower temperature and maybe no convection if you want a stuffed bird.
BTW on birds that i roast, I cover the legs with foil to retard browning from the convection oven.
Convection ovens are like little blast furnaces!
A stuffed capon can be a thing of beauty!-Dick

Bought a capon yesterday. It's about 8 pounds. My plan is to get up early tomorrow morning and cut the bird in half; I intend to cook half in a clay pot (which will help avoid drying it out); the other half I'll smoke in my WSM.

I've always liked capon, but as it has all but disappeared from local menus, I'll make my own.