About
Bartolomeo Scappi and the Renaissance Feast: Capon in Almond Milk Sauce
The Renaissance was a feast for the senses — a time when art, architecture, and music flourished, and the table became another stage for grandeur. Nowhere was this more vivid than in the kitchens of the Vatican, where Bartolomeo Scappi — chef, artist, and innovator — redefined what it meant to cook for power.
The Pope’s “Secret Chef”
Born around 1500 in Dumenza, Lombardy, Scappi rose from regional kitchens to the most prestigious post of the era: cuoco secreto — the private chef to Popes Pius IV and Pius V. His banquets for popes and cardinals were part theater, part diplomacy, part culinary exhibition. Dishes were crafted not just to satisfy hunger, but to impress foreign ambassadors, dazzle visiting royalty, and reinforce the Vatican’s image as the center of the Christian world.
His monumental cookbook, Opera dell’arte del cucinare (1570), contains over a thousand recipes, precise techniques, and even woodcut illustrations of Renaissance kitchens and tools. It’s a blend of medieval spice-laden cooking, emerging Italian regional specialties, and the era’s appetite for luxury. Scappi was as likely to serve a delicate Neapolitan pastry as a Bolognese ragù, inadvertently laying the groundwork for a unified Italian culinary identity centuries before political unification.
A Dish Fit for a Pope
One of Scappi’s most refined creations was cappone in latte di mandorle — capon in almond milk sauce. The capon, a castrated rooster, was highly prized for its rich, tender meat. Almond milk, a fixture of both medieval and Renaissance kitchens, brought creaminess without dairy — perfect for Lent and other fasting periods when animal milk was forbidden.
The sauce was delicately sweetened with fine sugar and scented with cinnamon and nutmeg — spices that were as much a sign of wealth as of taste. Slow cooking ensured the flavors melded, resulting in a dish that was both sumptuous and understated, a hallmark of high Renaissance dining.
Scappi’s Recipe (1570)
From Opera dell’arte del cucinare, Book II, Recipe 112:
Take a well-cleaned capon and cook it in a pot with water and salt until nearly done; remove and cool. Pound two pounds of blanched almonds in a mortar, mix with fresh water, and strain through cloth to make almond milk. Place the almond milk in a pot with two ounces of fine sugar, one ounce of ground cinnamon, and a quarter ounce of nutmeg. Heat gently, then return the capon to the pot and finish cooking over a slow fire. Serve hot, with the almond milk poured over.
A Taste of the Renaissance
This dish captures the soul of Renaissance cooking — a marriage of imported luxury goods (spices, sugar) with local bounty (poultry, almonds), presented with elegance and restraint. It was food as art, crafted to be admired as much as consumed.
In Scappi’s world, the kitchen was as much a place of invention as the painter’s studio or the sculptor’s workshop — and in dishes like capon in almond milk sauce, we taste the Renaissance itself.
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INGREDIENTS
Capon or Chicken: 1 whole capon (about 4–5 lbs) or 1 large whole chicken (about 3–4 lbs), cleaned and patted dry
Water: 8 cups (for poaching)
Salt: 1 tbsp (for poaching)
Almonds: 1 cup (blanched, skinless almonds)
Water (for almond milk): 2 cups, cold
Sugar: 2 tbsp (adjust to taste; Renaissance recipes favored sweeter flavors)
Ground Cinnamon: 2 tsp
Ground Nutmeg: 1/2 tsp
Optional: Fresh parsley or edible flowers for garnish (to reflect Renaissance presentation)
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Instructions
Poach the Capon:
Place the whole capon (or chicken) in a large pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Add 1 tbsp salt.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skimming any foam that rises. Cook for 45–50 minutes until the bird is nearly cooked (internal temperature at the thigh reaches about 150°F/65°C). The meat should be tender but not fully cooked.
Remove the capon from the pot using tongs and let it cool slightly on a plate. Reserve ½ cup of the poaching liquid.
Make the Almond Milk:
Place 1 cup blanched almonds in a blender or food processor with 2 cups cold water. Blend until smooth, about 1–2 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the almond pulp or save for another use (e.g., baking). You should have about 1½–2 cups of almond milk.
Prepare the Almond Milk Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, combine the almond milk, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. Stir in ½ cup of the reserved poaching liquid to enhance flavor.
Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm but not boiling, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust sugar or spices if desired (Renaissance palates leaned sweeter, so feel free to add a touch more sugar).
Finish Cooking the Capon:
Cut the cooled capon into serving pieces (legs, thighs, breasts) for easier cooking, or keep whole for a dramatic presentation.
Place the capon pieces (or whole bird) in the saucepan with the warm almond milk sauce. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the capon is fully cooked (internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C) and infused with the sauce’s flavors. Turn the pieces occasionally to coat evenly.
Serve:
Transfer the capon to a serving platter. Pour the almond milk sauce over the top, ensuring it coats the meat generously.
Garnish with fresh parsley or edible flowers for a Renaissance-inspired flourish, if desired.
Serve hot with crusty bread, roasted vegetables, or a simple salad to complement the rich, nutty sauce.
Notes
Historical Context: Scappi’s original recipe used two pounds of almonds for a single capon, reflecting the Renaissance love for lavish ingredients. I’ve scaled this down for practicality while maintaining the creamy texture. The cinnamon and nutmeg quantities are also reduced to suit modern tastes, as Renaissance dishes were heavily spiced.
Substitutions: If capon is unavailable, a high-quality, free-range chicken works well. For a vegan version, try firm tofu or seitan, adjusting cooking times accordingly.
Lenten Adaptation: This dish was suitable for Lent in Scappi’s time, as almond milk replaced dairy. To make it fully Lenten, use a vegetable base (like mushrooms) instead of poultry.
Tips: For a smoother sauce, blend the almonds thoroughly and strain twice. If the sauce thickens too much during cooking, thin it with a splash of water or poaching liquid.
