Italian-style capon broth (Brodo di cappone all’italiana) ๐ฎ๐น ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฆ
Food, Culinary bases, Broths, stocks and liquid preparations
Original name: Brodo di cappone all’italiana
Other names: /
Nationality: Italy ๐ฎ๐น, San Marino ๐ธ๐ฒ, Vatican City ๐ป๐ฆ
Consumption area(s): Italy ๐ฎ๐น, San Marino ๐ธ๐ฒ, Vatican City ๐ป๐ฆ
Introduction
Italian-style capon broth (Brodo di cappone all’italiana) is a traditional preparation obtained by slowly simmering capon meat, often with aromatic vegetables and herbs, in water over several hours. The prolonged cooking allows the liquid to extract collagen, proteins, minerals, and flavor compounds from both the muscle and connective tissues, resulting in a clear, structured, and well-balanced broth. Compared to standard chicken broth, capon yields a richer and more complex profile, due to its higher fat content and more developed musculature.
This broth has a well-established role in Italian regional cuisine, particularly in festive and winter contexts, where it is valued both as a stand-alone dish and as a culinary base for other preparations. It is commonly used for filled pasta such as tortellini or cappelletti, as well as for soups and risotti, where it contributes depth, body, and aromatic continuity.
Recipe
Italian-style capon broth (brodo di cappone all’italiana)
ะngredients
- 5 l
cold water (5.28 qt) - 2.5 kg
capon (5.5 lb) - 1
yellow onion - 1
celery stalk - 1
(western) carrot - 1
outher leek leaf (optional) - 5
(flat-leaf) parsley stems (optional) - 1
bay leaf (optional) - 1 spring
thyme (optional) - 2
cloves Coarse salt, to taste Ground Black pepper, to taste
ะnstructions
- Cut the onion in half and stick a clove into the round part of each half.
- Then prepare a bouquet garni by tying the bay leaf, thyme, and parsley stems inside the leek leaf.
- Place the capon, celery, carrot, the two onion halves, any bones, and the tomato into a large pot, and cover with the indicated amount of cold water.
- Heat the pot over a low temperature between 37ยฐC and 67ยฐC (99โ153ยฐF) to ensure maximum flavor extraction (a thermometer can be helpful). Temperatures up to 95ยฐC (203ยฐF) can also be suitable, as long as the water does not boil.
- Cook the broth for about 2 hours, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface from time to time.
- After the cooking time, strain the broth first through a fine-mesh sieve and then through cheesecloth or muslin.
- Finally, adjust with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
Notes:
Nutritional facts table of Italian-style capon broth
Please note that nutritional values may vary slightly depending on the ingredients used.
| Nutrients | Per 100 g |
| Calories (kcal) | 36 |
| Total fat (g) | 1.21 |
| ———Saturated fat (g) | 0.32 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 3 |
| Sodium (mg) | 60* |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 3.57 |
| ———Dietary fiber (g) | 0 |
| ———Total sugar (g) | 1.6 |
| Protein (g) | 2.55 |
*This sodium content does not include the salt added during preparation, as the amount varies depending on personal preference.
