Capons are in my opinion the perfect roaster. Expensive. Large - usually in the 6 to 9 lb range. I've never used them to make soup. Except for the carcass.

~Ann

Coq au vin!

They're a special order around here, and I don't bother. We get gigantor chickens, however. I'm always making the butcher weigh them for me looking for small ones. If I want a big, tough bird, I just buy one of the larger ones. :) It's not the same, of course, but easier.

My cousin raised capons and they were so wonderful roasted. I'd suggest you roast it and save the carcass for making soup (add a few chicken feet, chicken backs or wings if you need more volume than just the carcass). The method at the link below will give you perpetual broth for a week if you cook it in a slow-cooker.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Perpetual Soup

Another who would not use a capon for soup . To me it is the king (well a king in a pre capon life) of roasters. The carcass is perfect for soup/broth but the meat would be wasted.

I get it about being hard on the budget, but for the kind of soup Roxanna described, I can see using capons. I'm envisioning more of a stewed kind of soup, or something like chicken and dumplings, minus the dumplings. Capons are the best for stewing, and it makes sense they'd be good for that kind of rich soup.

Capons are a premium roaster. As Sharon said the king. Definitely not tough. If you are just looking for soup birds, look for a hen. Makes wonderful rich broth.

~Ann

Here is a link that might be useful: Capon

This post was edited by ann_t on Sun, Jan 11, 15 at 17:06

The best chicken to make stock:

Go to an Asian store, they sell free ranged old chickens, the whole chicken minus feathers, head to tail.

They are specially farmed just for making stock.

They also sell $1.00 a bag chicken bones for making stock.

dcarch

dcarch, not everyone lives in an area with big Asian stores. I'm lucky to have one tiny store so I can get specific ingredients.

beachlily, I have no Asian stores here either, and I haven't made a trip into Grand Rapids for months now, other than to take Amanda Christmas shopping. I think I might be about due for a day trip.....

I seldom see capons here either, and when I do they are very expensive. For soup I use my old stewing hens, those who are past "laying" age, but they aren't good for much else except a rich and flavorful broth.

Which reminds me that I really like creamy chicken soups, but Elery doesn't, so I haven't made one in a while. I need to, and he can eat pizza that night!

Annie

Roxanna, will you share your cream of chicken soup recipe please?

Thanks,
Ann

Capons are by definition just castrated roosters. Not all are fed up on milk and tenderness!

I remember when there were stewing hens, capons, roasters, and spring chickens in the markets. Wow, that does "take me back"!

I like roasted capons. Always used stewing hens for soup broth. Nowadays, with the bland supermarket chickens, I wait until I've roasted a chicken, then use the carcass for broth. I usually augment it with either duck, or turkey necks, for more oomph.

Capons here are fed on milk and tenderness and are a luxury item that you certainly wouldn't make soup out of!!!
A coq for coq au vin is an old rooster - that's for braising. Much darker meat.

Capons are great if you're having a holiday meal for a smaller crowd; I much prefer roasted capon to a roasted turkey.

The only ones I find around here are frozen, but they taste fine. I've never seen fresh capons in the stores here.

Note one thing: a capon is, as mentioned, a neutered male chicken. There's also something out there called a caponette, which is 'chemically castrated'--i.e., given hormones to keep him from attaining roosterhood. I'm not too keen to try one of those.

Caponizing used to be a farmstead skill; now it's hard to find anyone who knows how to do it. A lot of the small scale chicken growers I know just order 'x' number of chicks from a nursery, and you can specify male, female or straight run.

Ann ~ i don't actually have a recipe, but here's what i do for my soup. first, boil the bird until meat is tender. cool until fat solidifies. i remove the lovely fat and divide into portions of about 2-3 tablespoons into sandwich bags. then i finely chop the meat and make that into 1--2 cup portions (give or take). these all go into the freezer to be used whenever i wish. a pack of fat and one of meat = enough for a pot of soup. the broth gets strained and concentrated a bit by boiling down. here i add one or two grated carrots and a couple of onions finely chopped (any size -- i like lots) and a good handful of very fine egg noodles.

there is never enough broth to make more than one or two batches of soup, so when it is gone, i just use regular store broth. (the fat gives much flavor, of course!)

for the soup. i melt the fat and add flour to make a roux -- amount of flour is variable, as chicken fat will absorb more flour than butter in a roux. when the roux is thick enough for my taste, add broth/water/noodles and cook until of medium thickness. i also add some Savory Choice Liquid chicken broth Concentrate if the flavor needs boosting. salt and pepper to taste.

this gives me a fairly thick soup, and is so good and comforting.

many folk would not like this method, as i do use the chicken fat. that's how i get a thick-style end product,. at my age, i just will not worry about the extra calories -- i just want my soup the way i like it! of course, any other chicken soup ingredient you like could be added, or leave out the onions if you wish, or larger noodles, i suppose. whatever you like!

Roxanna

Roxanna, I don't have any problem at all with using the chicken fat, and I "save" it in the freezer if I have any extra from any cooking project. I know some other members here also save the "schmaltz".

I also render lard and I'm thinking I'll do the same with some grass fed beef fat, it's gotta be better for me than hydrogenated shortening and that kind of stuff. I use real butter too, I think moderation is the key, not complete avoidance. Of course others disagree with me, and tell me of the "poisonous" nature of saturated fats. I ignore them. (grin)

Your soup sounds delicious.

Annie