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If you have
questions about food and cooking, or if you're wondering
about the best technique to lighten your dishes, ask
the chef. She'll select one question to answer
every week.
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Question:
What's trussing? Should I do it?
— M. Loeser, Branford, CT
Bonnie Moore
Answer:
Trussing is tying poultry or meat with string (or using skewers or toothpicks) to make a compact shape that cooks evenly. You don't have to do it, but it's good to learn how. And with a little practice, it's very quick and easy to do.
Trussing Plusses
- The bird cooks more evenly.
- The bird stays moist without adding fat.
- The final presentation is prettier.
- Carving is easier.
Truss A Bird In Five Simple Steps
- With the breast side up, bend the second joint of the wings back so that they rest behind the top of the bird.
- Take a piece of butcher's string long enough to wrap around the bird twice. Tie it around the tail and leave the same amount of string on either side.
- Cross each piece of string over and around the drumsticks.
- Run each piece of string snugly along the breasts and thread through the hole made on each side by the folded wing.
- Turn the bird over and tie both pieces of string together over the back of the bird.
| About Bonnie Moore |
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Bonnie Moore, FoodFit's Executive Chef, graduated
from Boston University with a bachelor's degree in
Math and Statistics before forsaking her calculator
for a whisk. Bonnie earned an associate degree in
Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University
and a degree in pastry arts from L'Academie de Cuisine.
She is the former sous chef at the Inn at Little Washington,
the only five-star, five-diamond kitchen in the United
States, and a former chef-instructor in the professional
program at L'Academie
de Cuisine in Maryland. Bonnie likes to be involved
with food at every stage; from planting seeds at the
farm to creating a meal for her family. She believes
that there is no better place to foster community
and nourish those you love than around a table.
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Photograph of Bonnie Moore: © 2000 Adam Auel
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