Trussing Birds for Roasting Whole

Roast chicken, turkey, duck and geese are familiar and popular items. The advance preparation techniques required can vary. Some chefs prefer to leave birds un-trussed, in the belief that this permits the birds to cook quickly and evenly. Others prefer to truss birds, in order to produce roasted birds that are moist, with a better shape and color, and a classic appearance.

Since the wing tips are generally not served, they may be cut away before trussing. Then the bird is ready for trussing either with or without a trussing needle. There are some alterations to these basic techniques that you may learn. The aim of trussing is to produce a neat, compact shape.