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1
Brine bird: Pour the cold water into a 5-gallon stock pot.
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2
Dissolve the salt and sugar in a little bit of warm water, and add it to the cold water.
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3
Add the peppercorns.
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4
Place the bird breast-side down in the stock pot and cover.
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5
Store in the refrigerator and turn the bird once during brining.
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6
(I didn't turn it, but I did put a plate on top of the bird to completely submerge it in the brine.)
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7
Brine for 6 to 10 hours (I brined 22 hours, which was fine because this brine has less salt than some others).
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8
Take it out of the brine, rinse and pat dry, then put it back in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 6 hours.
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9
(From what I've read, this step will cause the water to move away from the skin, resulting in crisper skin.)
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10
Boil potatoes in a pot of salted water flavored with a splash of vinegar until al dente.
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11
In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter, and add bay leaf, juniper berries, paprika, cinnamon, chestnuts and apple.
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12
Add potatoes; fry until golden.
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13
Sprinkle with bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper, and let cool.
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14
Preheat the oven to 400F.
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15
Fill capon with the potato stuffing.
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16
Truss the legs, and tuck the wing tips under the body so that they don't burn during cooking.
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17
Rub the capon with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
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18
Roast until skin begins to brown (about 30 minutes).
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19
Add onions and the wine, and cook for about 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the inner thigh registers 175F to 180F.
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20
(My 4 1/2 lb bird cooked in 2 hours total cook time.)
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21
Let the bird rest for 30 minutes before carving.
