The Clever Girl or the Capon Conspiracy

Folklore, Food & Fairytales

In which we discover that you can’t have a mortar without a pestle especially if it’s gold, that kings make mistakes, the importance of clever queens and that even a capon can be symbolic.

This is the glorious story of how a clever peasant girl attracts a prince, loses a prince, gains a king, loses a king and then outwits him. It's an Italian folk tale but has variants all over the world. There are fairies (well one possibly), a golden mortar, capons, pasties and cake as well as a cart that gives birth to a foal, a man who can fish in the street. If you want to know how you can travel without walking or on animal back, be neither naked or clothed, hungry or fed or arrive by neither day or night then this is the story for you.

If you would also like to know how capons fit in and how three cockerels are going to bring about the end of the world then stick around after the story for some fairytale analysis, folklore and a recipe for ambrosia.

There is also this episode's recipe which is Stuffed Capon and comes from a 15th Century recipe book adapted for modern cooks.

You can find a list of books, articles and web pages which contain more information about things contained in today's podcast in Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog. If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood