Roast Capon With Chile-cilantro Rub

Rinse capon and snip away any excess fat from cavity using kitchen shears. Pat capon dry and season with salt inside and out. Let stand at room temperature 30minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F. While capon is standing, mash garlic to apaste with salt using a mortar and pestle. Add cilantro, chile powder, cumin,and butter and mash to a paste again. Arrange capon, breast side up, with necktoward you, and gently work your fingers between skin and flesh of breast,working your way down to thighs. Rub one third of butter mixture under skin ofbreast and thighs. Rub another third of butter mixture in cavity of bird, thentie legs together with kitchen string. Put capon in a buttered roasting pan.Scatter carrots around bird and season with salt and pepper. Pour water overcarrots. Roast in middle of oven 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven and brush topand sides of bird with remaining butter mixture. Roast, basting capon andcarrots with pan juices every 20 minutes (tent capon with foil if it gets toobrown), until a thermometer inserted 2 inches into fleshy part of a thighregisters 170°F, about 2 hours more. Transfer carrots with some of pan juicesto a heated serving dish and keep warm, covered. Let capon stand 20 minutesbefore carving. Makes 6 servings. Recipe By: Gourmet,com, Deborah Madison