Have you ever had to truss a bird before cooking it? At Restaurant Supply, we sell skewers for this purpose, but do you know why it’s important to truss a bird? You’re about to find out.
Trussing is a cooking technique for birds that serves several functions. It seals the cavity of the bird tight and helps it keep its shape during cooking. Trussing also gives the bird an attractive shape for serving, and it is also easier to carve. Properly trussed birds will also cook faster since all the parts of the chicken are bound tight together. Most of the time people truss birds to keep stuffing from drying out. By sealing the cavity, the steam generated by the bird remains trapped inside. When done well it can cause the skin of the bird to puff out which looks very attractive.
The two main methods of trussing are skewers and string. Most restaurants use skewers because they are reusable. There’s no advantage to using one over the other, and often a cook will use both methods for different parts of the bird. To truss a bird using metal skewers, here’s how to do it.
The first thing to do is clean the bird thoroughly and pat dry. Stuff the bird or apply an herb rub to the cavity now if you plan on doing so. Turn the chicken with the breast upward and pull the wings up over the neck skin toward the back and tuck them under the shoulder of the bird. Next, fold the skin of the neck over the opening and secure it with a skewer. Do this by threading it back and forth through the skin several times as if you were doing a running stitch. Finally, push the legs close to the body and tuck in any extra skin between the thigh and the breast, then cross the ends of the legs together and put a skewer through to hold it.
If the wings are locked behind the shoulders, the cavity is shut tight by one or more skewers, and the legs are tucked closed to the body and skewered together, you’ve successfully trussed your turkey. After cooking, use extreme care in removing the metal skewers, as they will be quite hot.
For presentation, this looks great when you’re bringing it to the table for perhaps a down-home family meal or an Asian inspired whole duck. With the right trussing, you can turn the experience into even more of a delightful affair.
