I love creating recipes for chicken capons, and I’m just getting started! The beauty of this recipe is that after stuffing the capons, you can use the rest of the mixture as a side dish for a different meal.

This dish makes an awesome appetizer. Served over mashed potatoes or as a second main for Seder night!

SERVES 6

• 6 capons
• oil, for sautéing
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 4 cups cubed eggplant
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• 2 cups zucchini, sliced in half circles
• 1 24-oz (680-g) jar Tuscanini Marinara Sauce or 3 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped or shallots
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 4-inch (10-cm) jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional)
• 2 Tbsp instant mashed potato flakes, can be omitted or subbed with ¼ cup prepared mashed potatoes
• 1 tsp paprika (see note on index page on how to make this)

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and let sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté onions and green and red peppers in oil for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté 5 more minutes. Add marinara sauce, garlic, and salt. Wipe and dry the eggplant and add it to the mixture. Stir in the potato flakes.

Lay slices of jalapeño on top and cook for 30 minutes on a low simmer.

Remove from heat and cool. Put aside two cups of the mixture. The rest you have as a side dish. Spoon 2 Tbsp of ratatouille mixture onto each capon, then roll the capon and lay in a pan skin side up. Alternatively, spoon 2 Tbsp of the mixture under the skin and then roll tightly. Place the rest of the reserved two cups of ratatouille on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the capons with paprika and some salt.

Bake for half an hour. Uncover the pan and raise the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C). Bake for 8–10 more minutes, or up to 15 minutes if necessary.

Note

Since onions, peppers, and eggplants come in all shapes and sizes, I prefer to use cup measurements rather than specifying a specific type. You can totally omit the jalapeño peppers, or double them. It’s your meal, go crazy.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 835)