Holiday Recipe: Roast Capon with Christmas Spices and Creamy Dauphinois Potatoes

Celebrate the festive season with this traditional French holiday recipe, perfectly paired with the elegant wines of Domaine Berger.

Ingredients (Serves 6–8)

For the Roast Capon

• 1 capon (approximately 2 kg / 4½ lb)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Dauphinois Potatoes

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) potatoes
• 500 ml (17 fl oz) heavy cream
• 1 garlic clove
• 30 g (1 oz) butter
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

Roast Capon

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F / Gas Mark 4).
2. Rub the capon with olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
3. Place the crushed garlic, thyme, and bay leaf inside the cavity.
4. Arrange the capon in a roasting dish, scatter the sliced onion around it, and drizzle with the honey.
5. Roast for 1½ to 2 hours, basting regularly with the cooking juices until the skin is beautifully golden and the meat is tender and juicy.

Creamy Dauphinois Potatoes

1. Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly.
2. Rub a baking dish with the halved garlic clove, then butter the dish generously.
3. Layer the potato slices in the dish, seasoning each layer with salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg.
4. Pour the cream evenly over the potatoes and dot with small pieces of butter.
5. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender and the top is beautifully golden.

Wine Pairing

To complement this festive meal, we recommend serving it with our Domaine Berger Riesling.

Its crisp freshness, elegant citrus notes, and lively minerality beautifully balance the richness of the creamy Dauphinois potatoes while enhancing the delicate flavours of the Christmas-spiced capon.

For a richer and more aromatic pairing, our Gewurztraminer is another excellent choice. Its floral aromas, exotic fruit character, and subtle spice perfectly echo the cinnamon and ginger used in the recipe, creating a warm and festive harmony.

Raise a glass of Domaine Berger wine and celebrate the holiday season with family, friends, and the authentic flavours of Alsace.