Capon Landes - Arnaud Tauzin
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Pre-order: we have a limited allocation of capons this year, and they're available to pre-order now. They arrive with us from 15 December, and we'll deliver from then. If you have a preferred delivery date for your capon, add it in the order notes box at checkout. If you don't, we'll get in touch in December to arrange one. If the delivery date you choose at checkout is before 15 December, the rest of your order will arrive on that date as normal, and we'll send the capon separately on a date arranged with you.
Origin: France
The meat is moist and firm, and stays juicy through cooking. There's a high ratio of meat to bone, so a single bird goes a long way at the table. It suits most methods but is best roasted, where the skin crisps and turns golden while the meat stays succulent. The Connaught uses this producer's birds, where Hélène Darroze serves them in her roast chicken dishes.
Producer: bred on Arnaud Tauzin's family farm in St. Sever, in the south of Les Landes in South-West France. The Tauzin family have raised poultry there since the 19th century. The region is known for its poultry, and the land is rolling hills, open prairie and maize fields.
Arnaud raises poulardes, poulettes, capons and guinea fowl, all corn-fed on maize grown on the farm. His birds are the Cou-Nu, or 'naked neck', a breed that originated in Africa and has long been a traditional bird in the Landes. They're hardy enough for the region's hot summers and spend most of their lives outdoors. They grow slowly, which gives a firm, succulent meat with plenty of flavour. In our view, the quality is well above most Label Rouge birds.
The capon: a capon is a male chicken, castrated young and then fed a rich diet for several months. The result is tender meat with more fat through it than a standard chicken. Capons are only available from December to February, and in France they're the traditional bird for Christmas and New Year.
Net: 2.9–3kg
The capons arrive with us fresh, and we freeze them on site using IQF (individual quick freezing) to keep them in good condition until they reach you. Each bird is delivered frozen.
