How To Truss A Chicken
Just hearing the phrase “truss the chicken” is enough to make even the most serious of chefs break into a smile. It does sound funny, but it is necessary to truss a chicken if you want it to maintain its shape while it is baking. Trussing a chicken just sounds strange, but it is a fairly easy task that even the novice cook can do quickly.
What You Will Need
One chicken, whole
Cutting board
String or a skewer
Step 1: Preparing To Truss the Chicken
First, if you like you can remove the giblets from the cavity of the bird. Next, as always, wash and gently pat your fresh chicken dry. Next, place your whole chicken on the cutting board, ensuring that it is breast side up. The chicken’s tail will be facing you.
Step 2: Getting Started
If you are using a string to truss the chicken, place the string beneath the chicken in the middle of its back and even out the ends. Encircle the chicken, ensuring that you get the wings to lie flat against either side of the breast by pulling the string toward you. Crossing the strings at the base of the breast, wrap the string around the legs and pull tight until the chicken legs cross.
Step 3: Tying Up Loose Ends
Wrap the string around the tail of the chicken and pull it tight until you have covered the cavity. Tie the strings in a knot, then place the chicken breast up and bring the strings up front. Tie in another knot, or if you are in a whimsical mood, make a bow. Cut any excess string with scissors.
Things To Consider When You Truss
If you are going to season the inside cavity of the chicken, do it before you truss.
You can stuff a chicken that you intend to truss.
Always handle poultry with care, because they harbor dangerous bacteria.
Wash with disinfectant or bleach all surfaces that have come in contact with the chicken, and this includes your hands.
Don’t forget to remove the string before carving.
Why Truss A Chicken?
Trussing a chicken is done for cosmetic reasons. It makes the chicken look better when it comes out of the oven, as it helps to retain its shape. If you don’t want to use string, you can buy skewers and run them through the legs or thighs of the chicken, though this method is not as successful as the string technique.
It is when you are using a rotisserie that trussing a chicken is most important. If the chicken is not properly trussed when using this technique, the wings or legs may get burned. The chicken will not cook as evenly, because the parts will be flopping around as the chicken slowly rotates.
Whether to truss a chicken or not is a matter of individual choice. If your grandmother and your mother cooked their chicken this way, you may want to continue the tradition of trussing the chicken for the oven.