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Do you truss chicken before roasting?

15 years ago

Last year I read about trussing chickens before roasting them, and I have been doing it ever since. I find it does make a difference in both taste and presentation. It also makes it easy to lift the bird out of the pan.

Trussing--yay or nay?

Jo

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Comments (21)

hawk307
15 years ago
Jojoco:
I always tie the Leg to the wing, criss cross, after I put in the Stuffing.
Keeps everything where it is supposed to be.
Lou
John Liu
15 years ago
I'm too lazy to brush, floss or truss. Well, one of those is true.

What I need is a couple of large metal binder clips to hold the cavity shut and clamp the leg ends together.
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dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
This is somewhat related to the Ã¢ÂÂTurning the chickenÃ¢ÂÂ thread.

Not to say the other methods are not good. We all have our preferences. I prefer my chickens, ducks, turkey well browned all around and as much crispy skin as possible.

I studied the best bird roasting method, namely, Chinese Peking duck roasting.

The way the Peking ducks are roasted so completely crispy is by hanging and rotating the duck with as much skin exposed to heat as possible.

Not only that I donÃ¢ÂÂt truss the chicken, I actually use sticks to space the wings and legs apart.

I donÃ¢ÂÂt like that part of soggy skin between the wings, legs and the breast that have no color and not much flavor because the fire canÃ¢ÂÂt get to it and the seasoning cannot get to them when you are basting. Also, when you spread the legs and wings, the chicken get cooked faster and less chance for over cooking.

I am with John; I donÃ¢ÂÂt brush, floss or truss my chickens when roasting either. :-)
dcarch
User
15 years ago
Not any more. Haven't trussed for years. The chicken/turkey will cook more evenly if you do not truss. You want the heat circulating around the legs and that doesn't happen if you tie the legs tight against the breast.

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lakeguy35
15 years ago
I'll admit to not roasting a lot of chickens over the years but I've never trussed them. We do it with turkey for TG but always cut the legs free for the last hour or more of roasting. Don't know why but we always have.

David
lindac
15 years ago
I have an old magazine....think it may be a Bon Appetit or perhaps a Gourmet. I save it because it tells a method of trussing a bird that really works well.
I prefer a bird that has been well trussed, no floppy wings or flying up legs. I really think it stays more moist and certainly makes a better presentation.
BUT...unless I am planning on presenting the bird at the table....I usually just flip the wings under and poke a skewer through the tail and tie the legs to that.
cooksnsews
15 years ago
I'm remembering the Julia Child episode where she cooked a chicken on some type of table-top rotisserie. I couldn't believe how much string she used to tie up that birdie, not to mention all the bacon and butter.... Regardless, I'm a non-trusser. It's simpler, and my birds cook faster.
annainpa
15 years ago
I love the look and the ritual/ceremony of the trussing, but can honestly say I never do it anymore. For me, the end doesn't quite justify the means. Dcarch's take makes sense to me, though--so maybe will have to study roasting of Peking duck.
loves2cook4six
15 years ago
Well, we tried rotissering chickens without trussing them first. OMG!! We nearly p'd our pants. It looked like they were trying to fly out the oven.

It scared my dd. She thought it was still alive. She's older now but since then, I always truss. And I'm good at it too :) Loop (from the middle of the string) around the legs, criss cross over the wings, garrotte the neck. DONE.

And for the record, as the chicken gets to the fall apart stage, if it's not trussed on the horizontal rotisseries, you have pieces just dropping off and the whole thing becomes very unbalanced. That's the real reason to truss and I'm sticking to it :)
anoriginal
15 years ago
Maybe presentation but.... IMO... not in taste. WHen I do a whole chicken, it's usually kinda small... cooking for one. I like to get it seriously brown and have lots of good brown"stuff" iin bottom of pan fo gravy. Like to tip the bird to get juices out into pan.

I go by my Grandmother guage of doneness. If legg and wings are ready to pull right off... it's done.
nandina
15 years ago
I never truss the bird. But, after stuffing I tuck a heel piece of bread (crust end of a loaf of bread) over the stuffed cavity covering the stuffing securely and this keeps all moist and stuffing together. Remove heel piece of bread before serving. I call that bit of bread the cook's reward as it is a very tasty tidbit.
cookebook
15 years ago
Julia said trussing kept the chicken from looking wanton lol
teresa_nc7
15 years ago
LOL! Oh, I do love this group! How we just dissolve into "spreading legs" and "wanton chickens" so easily. This place is always good for a laugh. And I love the idea of the "cook's treat" piece of bread to hold in the stuffing - that is right appealing to me.

Teresa, who doesn't currently truss, but might have to start once the Nesco roaster oven arrives - I see lots of roast chicken in my future!
arley_gw
15 years ago
If you don't want to mess with twine, those silicone stretchy bands do a good job of keeping the legs in place. They're reusable. They also are useful for holding parchment paper collars on to souffle dishes--easier than using pins or toothpicks.

Here is a link that might be useful: silicone bands
ci_lantro
15 years ago
No trussing here. I spatchcock my birdies.
hawk307
15 years ago
ci lantro:

I'm surprised at you !!!
Lou
hawk307
15 years ago
Ci lantro:
Sorry I read that too fast.

How's this for a Spachcocked Chicken !!!
LOU

Standing Chicken Leg Roast with Stuffing.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
Lou,

Fowl play? :-)

A chicken with four drumsticks, and no "vent hole". Wow!

dcarch
cooksnsews
15 years ago
The miracles of modern poultry production! Imagine that! a 4-legged chicken!!!!
teresa_nc7
15 years ago
Lou, not only is that a miracle and a hoot! - but it looks really good enough to eat! Ha!

Teresa
ci_lantro
15 years ago
Lou--I'm stealing that idea!

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