CAPN DE VILALBA/THE VILALBA CAPON REI DOS PRATOS E PRATO DOS REIS (PO IX)/"THE KING OF DISHES AND

A DISH FIT FOR KINGS" Mundialmente coecidos pola sa calidade e respecto tradicin, os capns de Vilalba, son pitos novos castrados e cebados que posen unha carne tenra debido a que acumulan sucesivas capas de graxa nos seus msculos. Known worldwide for their quality and respect for tradition, the Vilalba capons, are young castrated fattened chickens which have tender meat due to the many layers of fat that build up on their muscles.

O proceso de cra pasa por das etapas; unha primeira en liberdade, cunha alimentacin natural a base de cereais, auga e o que atopan no campo como insectos, herbas e sementes. Unha segunda, durante a que se ceban no interior a base de millo triturado, patacas cocidas e castaas coas que se forman bolios alongados que se introducen directamente na boca do animal. Their breeding is in two phases; the first is out in the open where they feed naturally on cereal, water, insects, grass or seeds; the second phase is for fattening indoors where they are fed ground corn, boiled potatoes and chestnuts which long rolls are made with and placed directly in the birds' mouth.

Os capns sacrifcanse tres ou catro das antes da noiteboa e a travs da feira do capn de Vilalba, que se celebra desde 1838 uns das antes do 24 de decembro, comercialzanse e envanse a distintas partes do mundo. The capons are slaughtered three or four days before Christmas Eve and during the Vilalba capon market, held since 1838 just before December 24th, ther are sold and exported around the world. Para a sa intacta conservacin hasta o da de Noiteboa e debido a que moitos viaxan fra de Galicia e de Espaa, unha vez limpos introdcense en auga quente salgada e

presntanse coa sa graxa encima sostida por palillos feitos ao xeito tradicional das propias plumas do pito. So as to maintain their perfect quality until Christmas Eve and due to the fact that many travel out of Galicia and Spain, once

they have been cleaned, they are placed in hot salty water and they are presented in their own fat with a type of toothpicks which are made the traditional way with the birds' feathers.

O capn, un produto que chegou a ns a travs do camio de Santiago e se conservou durante sculos, era na antigidade, un xeito de pago de foros e rendas e s se consuma nas mesas mis poderosas; hoxe en da constite un dos pratos tradicionais das ceas de Noiteboa de moitas familias. Un exemplo de receita para a cea de noiteboa a seguinte. The capon, a product which reached us through the Santiago Way and has remained with us for centuries, used to be a form of payment among the powerful and it was only found upon the wealthiest tables. Currently it is a typical Christmas dish in many households. The following is a typical recipe. CAPN ASADO AO ESTILO DE VILALBA/ROAST CAPON VILALBA STYLE INGREDIENTES/INGREDIENTS: - Un capn coa sa graxa/a capon and its fat - Unha cebola pequena/a small onion - Unha copa de coac/a glass of brandy - Unha cabeza de allo/a bulb of garlic -Sal/salt - Aceite de oliva virxe extra/extra virgin olive oil

XEITO DE PREPARACIN/PREPARATION: Colcase o capn limpo sobre unha bandexa e pnchase a sa pel cunha agulla para facilitar a sada de graxa durante o asado. A continuacin, sazonamos con sal por dentro e por fra. Atamos as patas e pregamos as s para que non se desfaga ao cocelo.

We place the clean capon on a tray and we prick it with a needle so that the fat can flow out during the roasting process. Then, we add salt inside and out. We tie its legs and we hold down the wings so it does not break while it is cooking. Unha vez preparado todo isto, colocamos a graxa do capn no fondo da bandexa na que imos cocia-lo e o pito por encima. Engadimos a cebola enteira e pelada e a cabeza de allo e por ltimo vertemos o aceite sobre todo isto. Once this is ready, we spread the fat/grease of the capon on the oven tray and put the capon on top. We add the onion and the garlic and pour the olive oil all over. Finalmente metmolo no forno quentado previamente a 160 durante tres ou catro horas dependendo do peso e caractersticas do animal. O proceso remata, pinchando de vez en cando a pel do capn mentres est no forno e botando por encima a salsa desprendida da propia coccin. Finally, we place the tray in a previously preheated (160 degrees) oven for three to four hours depending on the size. We should prick the capon from time to time and pour the capon sauce over it frequently. Para rematar mencionar que o capn non s amigo dos bos padais, se non tamn dos grandes literatos posto que aparece mencionado en multitude de obras literarias de gran calidade firmadas por autores como Quevedo, Cervantes ou Gabriel Garca Mrquez na sa obra Cien aos de soledad. Pero sen dbida foi o poeta Manuel Mara na sa obra Terra Ch, un dos que mellor os describiu: To end, we must say that the capon is not only a favourite of the best palates but also of some of our best writers like Quevedo or Cervantes and even Gabriel Garca Mrquez mentions it in "A hundred years of solitude". But undoubtedly, it was the poet, Manuel Mara, who best depicted it: Estes pares de capns Da bisbarra vilalbesa! Nunca ollei outros tan bos En toda a terra luguesa! Cbanse moi ben cebados. Hai que matalos despois Cando se ven desplumados Teen un peso de bois.

"This couple of capons from the land of Vilalba! Never have I seen better in the whole of Lugo! They are well fattened. Then they must be slaughtered. When they are plucked they weigh like an ox.

Outro exemplo do mesmo autor o seguinte poema musicado por Xos Luis Rivas (Midi) Another example from the same author is the following poem which Xos Luis Rivas (Midi) wrote the music for. COPLAS A UN CAPN QUE SE CHAMABA DEVESA/ COUPLETS TO A CAPON CALLED DEVESA El era un pitio cairo que se chamaba Devesa e tia as patas topinas, a crista arrichada e tesa. He was a tiny chick whose name was Devesa he had spotty legs and a stiff crest Nacera nun galieiro feito de tboas e paus amaba s pitos de granxa, odiaba s propios irmaus! It was born in a coop made of boards and sticks he loved the farm chicks, and hated his own kin! Non era de sospeitar que pito tan desmedrado poidera chegar a ser un galo forte e barbado. You wouldn't have guessed that such a chick came to be A strong bearded cock Pero puxo tal empeo en poder selo primeiro que chegou mesmo a comer as tboas do galieiro. Yet he was so eager to be the first that he even ate the coop boards. El mandaba e galeaba, non respetaba a ningun, crease o rei do mundo e s miraba seu ben. He ordered and pushed respected no one, he believed he was the king and only cared for himself. E cando o galo Devesa andaba mis valentn, sa ama tomou o acordo de convertilo en capn. And when Devesa, the cock, was at his bravest, his owner decided to turn him into a capon. Adeus gozo, adeus polias, adeus mando e valenta! Con todo o capn Devesa anda non aprendera! Bye pleasure, bye hens, bye boss and bravery! And even so Devesa would not learn the lesson...!

Foi el sempre tan teimudo buscou o xeito e maneira de poder mandar nos outros e reinar na capoeira. He was so stubborn that he found the way to still rule over the rest and reign in the coop. Pra someter s colegas uns catro ou cinco caps, aproveitou a lei DHont e convocou eleicis. To convince his mates four or five capons he took the D'Hont law and held elections. E puxo na propaganda: Eu son galo coma ti e para poder medrar has ter que votarme a min. And the slodan read: "I am a cock like you and in order to grow you should vote me" Presidindo a capoeira e mandando nos demais serva ben s seus amos pra poder medrar el mis. Presiding over all and ruling over the rest he well served his owners so as to grow more. Pro de nada lle valeron manganchas e pilleras cando veu a matachina pra rematar cos seus das. But of no use were his tricks and troubles

when the slaughterman came to end his days. Entn o ex- galo Devesa, que foi gran fornicador, escomenzou a chorar e dixo con gran dolor: So then Devesa, the ex- cock a great fornicator, began to cry, and said with great pain: -Vinde galos e galias, salvade a mia semente que se falta a mia raza non sei que ser da xente! "Come cocks and hens, save my seed, cause if my lineage ends, what will be of the people?" LETRA/LYRICS: MANUEL MARA MSICA/MUSIC: X.L. RIVAS (Mini)