The Christmas menu was a puzzle that, year after year, took shape and changed.
Some dishes were untouchable dishes and others went in and out of the composition each time.
Stuffed capon, in our house, also called galantina, was a Christmas dish of the second group.
And if it did not take its place on the Christmas lunch menu, it found a home on the Easter one.
Indeed, it was a dish for holidays and special occasions.
I have always liked all its variations or versions, with or without hard-boiled eggs or pistachios.
One of my favorite gastronomic memories is the sandwiches stuffed with crumbs and leftover capon generously topped with mayonnaise mixed with a drop of mustard sauce.
It was usually the December 26 snack and everyone loved them, not just us kids.
In order to keep my family tradition alive, after slicing the stuffed capon, I set aside the ugliest slices and broken pieces to make sandwiches I shared with friends at Enoteca Calzolari.
A place where to buy wine or enjoy a glass of wine that, for me, also has metaphysical value. It feels like home despite not being home. Between the owners and the regular patrons, almost all neighborhood residents, a special chemistry makes you feel like family. My unfamiliar family members appreciated it. And on the other hand, they are, by now, my trusted tasters.
Returning to stuffed capon. It is less challenging to make than you might imagine.
Ask your butcher to debone and clean a small capon that will be enough for many people. If you need help, go to the butcher with the recipe and ask for stuffing and tying.
This recipe will be the last one before Christmas, and I have something to share about the future of my blog.
New perspectives
My life seemed like a pot mumbling on the stove for the past few months.
The mumbling became a noise, and the lid got loud, too.
2024 was such a year.
About changes, unexpected surprises, thoughts whipping up like cream. Yes, just like whipping cream. Nothing seems to be happening, but you see the texture change, and you know something is happening before your eyes.
The same happens with thoughts. They take shape slowly; other times, you find them in front of you, grown up and ready to go their own way. And while I was amazed by the changes that had matured in me, life was moving forward faster than my own thoughts.
This is how I found myself looking into the face of a new Christmas and the end of another year.
I don’t know anything about the new one; I know that the old one closes with a different awareness of me and a thought as bright as a mountain sky on a cold, clear day.
Over time, I have realized that creating videos for social media takes me away from who I am: a writer.
Moreover, producing a good video recipe takes time and work, two things I cannot afford to give away for free to a social network indefinitely. Sure, I could collaborate with companies in the field. Still, they seldom pay a fee commensurate with the required job and often ask to use a pre-packaged text.
Finally, I admit that I am only willing to work with some. On Instagram, I only accept collaborations with brands related to my project. I also chose not to accept banner ads or paid links on the blog. I didn’t give up a fortune, but it was still money I need for living.
Living off my work as a food writer (on Substack)
After many years of mostly free work, I realized it was time to value what I offered. Hence the turning point. I finally learned to say no to proposals that don’t consider my professionalism and any expenses charged to me (as well!). In short, I stopped to work for free.
And since my creative voice needs to express itself through writing, an exercise that takes time to read, research, jot down words, delete, start over, and reread an infinite number of times, I made my choice.
I am not looking for followers but for cooks and readers who want to be with me where we can connect. I found this space on Substack. I am talking about the application I use to send my newsletter, Food Notes from Bologna.
Thanks to Substack, I can also add economic value to my work supported by paid subscribers.
When I saw the first paying subscriber, I was incredulous. By the second, I was excited, and by the fifth, I had performance anxiety. I’m joking. I’m so happy!
If you decide to support me, at the end of 2025, you will have an Italian cookbook divided into chapters, besides video recipes, and guides that delve into specific topics.
Does this mean I will shut down the blog and/or Instagram?
Some adjustments will be necessary since, in addition to the newsletter, I have started collecting notes and notes for a book I have had in mind for a long time.
For now, I plan to reduce the number of blog posts from one per week to two per month.
I will also post fewer reels on Instagram and return to photographs.
It will be a year all about writing!
Stuffed capon from Bologna
Rifreddi, galantine, chicken, and stuffed capons are timeless classics of Bolognese cuisine. They represent one of the happiest expressions of home cooking in these parts.
The Bolognese table is welcoming in its flavors and captivating to the eye. And the recipes of the Bolognese school, while rich in character and ingredients, always have a certain elegance.
The recipe for stuffed capon is among them. When cut, it looks like a meatloaf. You can serve it in any season, cold or at room temperature (the second condition is perfect even in winter; I like it that way). This dish is at its best if you cook it the day before. Serve the thin slices with Russian salad or baked potatoes.
Buona cucina, Monica
There is also a recipe for veal and mortadella rifreddo on the blog: HERE.
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Stuffed capon from Bologna
Ingredients
- 1 capon about 900g-1 kg, boneless
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 white or yellow onion
- 1 small celery stalk with leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 juniper berries or 2 star anise
- 2 g of coarse salt
Stuffing
- 200 g of ground pork loin
- 200 g of ground veal meat
- 100 g of prosciutto crudo, minced (or sausage)
- 100 g of unsmoked cooked ham, minced (or sausage)
- 150 g of chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
- 100 g mortadella cut into a single slice (or whole pistachios)
- 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 6 g of salt
Instructions
- Ask the butcher to debone the capon without breaking the skin.
- Ask the butcher to prepare a fine mince of loin, veal, and the two kinds of prosciutto according to the recipe.
- Once home, cut the chicken breast into small cubes, drizzle with Marsala wine, and set aside. You will need to drain the chicken from the liquor before using it.
- Cut the mortadella into small cubes and set aside. If you use some pistachios don't chop them.
- In a large bowl, combine all the stuffing ingredients (remember draining the chicken from the liquor). set aside.
- Arrange the capon on the work surface and begin stuffing it, starting at the bottom. Place a little stuffing at a time, pushing gently to prevent the capon from breaking. Proceed until the capon is well stuffed or until you run out of stuffing.
- Now secure the stuffed capon with butcher's twine: lay a strand of kitchen twine under the capon, lengthwise, and knot it in the center, olding the capon on the open end as if you were tucking it in.
- Then, cut many pieces of string long enough to tie the capon on the short side, about 2 cm —1 inch apart.
- Place the stuffed capon in a large saucepan with carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, juniper berries or star anise, and coarse salt. Cover with cold water and boil, then lower the heat and cook for an hour and a half over medium-low heat on a medium-small stove and with the pan half-covered. Halfway through cooking, turn the capon over or keep it covered with water at all times.
- When cooked, let the capon cool in the broth.
- Remove the capon from the pan and refrigerate it overnight or for several hours. Then, remove the kitchen string with scissors or a sharp knife and cut it into thin slices.
- You can serve the stuffed capon warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.
- You can freeze and store for up to a month.
- You can cook the stuffed capon in a capon bone broth, ask the butcher to keep them aside, adding the meat when the broth is already mumbling.
- Choose your own way and buona cucina.
