TRUSS ME...THE CHICKEN CHRONICLES, PART ONE

 I admit it...I got crazy in the head and decided to truss a 6 pound chicken for roasting. I guess I was inspired by the many times I have watched the "Julie and Julia" movie. I used Julia's "Way to Cook" cookbook (published in 1989), a wrist breaking tome complete with lots of photos.
What I DID NOT HAVE WAS A REAL TRUSSING NEEDLE, which looks like a short knitting needle (about 7" long) with an eye made for kitchen twine. I had no hope of getting one before the use by date of the chicken, so I had to figure out what to use instead. Here you see my solution...a thermometer probe, a carpet needle and kitchen string.

 The thermometer probe is almost the same size as a real trussing needle. I poked Henrietta chicken with the probe to make a hole. Then I had to carefully thread the curved needle with the string attached through the hole without drawing blood (mine). Not as easy to do as I had hoped. It helps to be ambidextrous! Here I am doing the last part..."closing the barn door" as Julia called it. I had already strung the top part of the bird and secured the wings in the same manner.

 I finally had the string fished through the legs with a bit in the middle through the breast as shown.

 Now all you do is tie it up tightly and you have a trussed hen. Cute, no?

I also put some fresh sage leaves under the skin of the breast. Not in the cookbook but always fun to do.
"The Way To Cook" was published in 1989 when Julia would have been in her late 70's I think. She acknowledged the microwave and the food processor. She also left out most of those hideous aspic recipes, so I think it was an attempt to update "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."
So "Why truss a chicken?" you ask...good question. Maybe because I'm semi-retired and had some time to kill in the kitchen? Or perhaps I just wanted to see if I could do it like Julia. Then again, maybe it would lead to a better, moister roasted bird. Stay tuned to this blog.