Cleaning and Trussing Chicken

Most prepared birds are sold ready trussed so it is not always necessary to undo the string or elastic thread unless you wish to stuff the bird. Trussing helps keep the bird in a good compact shape for even cooking, easier carving and to retain meat juices for more tender flesh. A simple method is to pull up the legs and tie together. Make sure the neck skin is pulled under the bird and wings tucked underneath.

1. Put your hand inside the body cavity and pull away the pad of fat just inside. Wash the bird inside and out under running water and dry with kitchen paper.

   

2. Working at the neck end, pull back the neck flap. Cut out the wishbone, if liked, for easy carving. Pack stuffing, if used, in neck end and pull down the skin.

   

3. Using a piece of string 5 times the bird’s length anchor one end around the parson’s nose and loop the long end around one leg and then the other and back around the parson’s nose to draw the legs and nose together.

   

4. Take the string to the back, passing between the thigh and body, then turn the bird over. Loop around one wing and across to the second wing, securing the neck flap. Loop again and pull up the wings to the body. Pass string back to parson’s nose and tie.