Trussing a Chicken

What does trussing a chicken even mean, anyway?  It sounds very fancy and gourmet, but the Miriam-Webster definition of truss is to “to arrange for cooking by binding close the wings and legs of (a fowl).”

And why would anyone want to tie up the chicken so that the wings and legs are held tight into its body?  Remember that, before the advent of closed ovens, most cooking was done over an open hearth.  Roasting was most often accomplished by rotisserie, with the meat turning on a spit over a flame.

If cooks did not truss up the wings and legs of poultry or other fowl, they could flop about and not only run the risk of burning but also throw off the balance of the spit.  Many spits were turned by mechanical devices using weights and pulleys, similar to the workings in grandfather clocks.  Meat had to be well balanced on the spit to keep the mechanism turning.   Trussing was a means of keeping poultry and other fowl in a neat, tight package, making it easier to balance the spit, thus keeping it turning.

To Truss or Not To Truss

These days, we rarely rely on rotisserie cooking.  Most roasting is accomplished in an oven with the meat stationary.  Trussing, however, has not completely gone out of style.  Now many chefs truss the chicken for cosmetic reasons.  It helps keep the birds’ shape when roasting and provides better presentation.  Some folks truss birds when they stuff them to keep the stuffing from falling out, but I’m not a big fan of filling the cavity except for a lemon and/or herbs.

So is it really necessary to truss at all?  The not so short answer is:  It depends.  There are pros and cons on both sides.

• Trussing will help keep poultry in shape and help keep wing tips and leg ends from burning.
• Trussing allows for a beautiful presentation, as for a celebration such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.
• A trussed bird will take more time to roast, and the skin will not crisp evenly.  The skin folded up between the legs and the body won’t brown at all, and the texture of that skin will be rubbery and unappealing.

Alternatives to Trussing a Bird

Choosing not to truss gives the cook more freedom in deciding how to cook the bird.  You could choose to butcher the bird and cook the dark meat separately from the white meat, ensuring that all the meat is perfectly cooked.  Even if you leave the bird intact, it will cook a bit more quickly since the wings and legs aren’t bound into the body.

On the down side, roasting whole but un-trussed runs the risk of burning wing tips.  Also, it’s almost impossible to make a “Ta Da” presentation for a special holiday with a bird that has been cut up.

As for me, I trust cookbook authors such as Barbara Kafka who tell you not to truss the bird.  That’s the wonderful thing about cooking though.  There is almost always more than one way to do something, and there are very few absolute rights and wrongs, just preferences.  For those of you interested in trussing a bird for presentation purposes, here are some easy steps to follow.

How To Truss Your Chicken

1. Place the chicken in front of you on a cutting board, legs pointing towards you.
2. Take a long piece of butcher’s twine and place the center of it under the ends of the drumsticks.
3. Pull the stings up around the ends of the drumsticks, cross them over and run the string down and under each drumstick end.  Pull tight to bring the ends of the drumsticks together.
4. Run the string down along the sides of the bird where the leg and thigh meet.
5. Catch the wings with the string, pulling them close to the sides of the bird.
6. Turn the bird over, pull gently, and tie the strings off under the neck of the bird.

Trussing a Chicken Cooking Video

For those of you who enjoy seeing how a technique is done, I would like to share this video from Rouxbe Online Cooking School describing how to truss poultry. It is a wonderful example of how quality cooking videos can be done. Check out How to Truss a Chicken Video.

Spatchcocking

If you are not interested in serving the bird whole, spatchcocking might be for you.  There is some question about the origin of the term spatchcock, but it is likely that it comes from “dispatch cock,” or kill the old rooster.  Spatchcocking is very simple to do.  It provides you with a flattened bird that cooks evenly and provides you will plenty of crispy skin.

To spatchcock a bird, use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone.  Just cut up either side of the spine.  It takes less force than you might think, so your regular kitchen shears should be more than up for the job.  Set aside the backbone.  I often save it for stock.

Turn the bird skin side up and press down to crack the breast bone.  Now you can lay the chicken out flat in a roasting pan and proceed with cooking.

For the best of both worlds - fast, even cooking, crispy skin and a Ta Da presentation - rather than cutting out the whole backbone, just cut along one side of the backbone before opening the bird up.  Roast flat, let rest and then use skewers to hold the bird together again.  Then, you’ll be able to present the bird whole, breast side up.

Roll Call

Egg roll…..Here!  Spring roll…..Here!  Vietnamese spring roll…..Here!  Summer roll…..Here!

OK, now that everybody has rolled in, let’s get started.  The ultimate topic of this article is summer rolls.  But to do justice to that endeavor, one should understand the often bewildering context of Asian rolls in general.  My plan was to elucidate the culinary differences and history of these rolls, but that’s where the confusion began.

In preparation for this article I spent a couple days reviewing a variety of cookbooks, reference books, and websites, all American in origin.  I was on a roll, but hadn’t arrived at a consensus as I encountered much disparate information.  I realized I had to go to the horse’s mouth.

I began by querying my wife and her friends, all of whom grew up in China, about their egg/spring roll experiences.  Next I consulted with a Chinese couple who had owned a number of Chinese restaurants in New York City.  Finally I conferred with my old colleague, Chef Joseph Poon of Philadelphia.  Chef Poon is a Philadelphia icon, having spent many years operating restaurants, teaching cooking classes, and organizing tours of Philly’s Chinatown.  I had the honor of teaching a cooking class with him years ago.  Not unexpectedly, all of the authentic sources were in agreement.

Spring Roll or Egg Roll?

Spring rolls are indigenous to China, with neighboring countries sporting their own versions.  Egg rolls are an American invention, albeit by Chinese immigrants during the 19th century.  Spring rolls were traditionally eaten during the Chinese New Year celebration or Spring Festival, hence the name.  During my preliminary search, I perused a number of sources asserting that both rolls originated in China, or that the egg roll was Chinese and the spring roll was the Americanized counterpart.  But my Chinese cohort was unanimous that the spring roll was of Chinese provenance.  Moreover, none of them ever had an egg roll in their country of origin.

Egg rolls start with wheat flour mixed with water or sometimes egg.  Spring rolls can utilize a wheat flour based wrapper or rice paper wrappers, (made from rice flour).  Egg roll wrappers are thicker and egg rolls are larger.  Egg rolls are also always fried.  Spring rolls can be eaten fried or fresh although the fresh version is more common to Vietnam which we’ll get to shortly.

The Fillings

The fillings for egg and spring rolls vary greatly from country to country and from chef to chef.  Even the different sub regions of China have their own traditional mixtures.  Nevertheless, egg rolls are usually based on vegetable fillings, (cabbage being the quintessential ingredient), while spring rolls run the gamut of pork, seafood, vegetables, or some combination thereof.

Penurious sections of China relied on vegetable based spring rolls and then added meat to them for the New Year Celebration.  Vegetable options include cabbage, carrots, bean paste, bamboo shoots, onions, bean sprouts, lettuces, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, ginger, noodles, etc.  The sauces that accompany them are equally heterogeneous.

Vietnamese spring rolls can be fried or fresh.  They frequently contain pork, bean sprouts, rice or mung bean noodles, and other ingredients characteristic of Southeast Asia.  Vietnamese fish sauce is often used as a component for the dipping sauces served with them.

Summer Rolls

Summer rolls are a type of Vietnamese spring roll.  They are made from rice paper wrappers and are not fried.  They are served cold and as the name implies, are a warm weather favorite.  While the fillings can still be diverse, they tend toward the vegetable realm and often contain thin rice or mung bean noodles.

Rice paper wrappers can be found in the Asian section of general supermarkets and without question in Asian grocery stores.  They are thin, round, semi-translucent, and approximately eight inches across.  Working with them can be a little tricky.  To render them pliable they must be briefly soaked in warm water and drained on a clean towel.  They are delicate and must be handled with care as they have a nasty tendency to tear or fold up on themselves.

How to Prepare a Summer Roll

Start with a round dish, such as a pie plate, large enough to hold the wrappers.  Fill it with warm water.  Have all of the ingredients for the filling ready to go.  Place a wrapper in the water and keep your fingers in contact with it.  You can feel when the wrapper begins to become pliable.  This takes around 15 seconds but I rely on touch and not the clock.  Insufficient soaking and the wrapper will remain somewhat brittle and crack.  Too much and it becomes mushy and tears.  After a few practice ones you’ll be able to sense just the right point with your fingers.

Carefully remove the wrapper from the water and lay it flat on a clean towel to dry and become sticky.  Using two hands, transfer the wrapper to a plastic cutting board.  They’ll adhere better to plastic which you can use to your benefit to tighten the roll.  More on that in a moment.  With the wrapper on the board add the fillings toward the bottom third of the wrapper.  Do not overfill and do not line the fillings all the way to the edges.  Save an inch or so at each end.

Holding the filling tightly with your first four fingers, use your thumbs to flip over the bottom creating the first turn.  Fold over the sides of the wrapper where you left an inch space to close the ends and then proceed to roll the remainder.  The top of the wrapper will stick somewhat to the board.  As you roll you can tug it somewhat, using it’s adherence to make the roll tighter.

SUMMER ROLLS
Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 15 (21-25/lb.) shrimp
• Soy sauce, as needed for marinating shrimp
• Black pepper to taste
• Light sesame oil, as needed for sautéing
• 12 round rice paper wrappers
• 2 oz. fine rice noodles
• Bean sprouts, as needed
• Chopped cilantro, to taste
• Julienned cucumber, as needed (optional)

How to Prepare at Home

Clean and devein the shrimp.  Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise and then cut each half crosswise to produce four pieces, totaling 60 pieces.

Place the shrimp in a bowl with some soy sauce and black pepper.  Allow it to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Heat the light sesame oil in a pan until very hot and quickly sauté the shrimp, being careful not to overcook.  Remove shrimp and reserve.

Place a rice paper wrapper in water for about 15 seconds or so.  Remove the wrapper with both hands and lay flat on a clean towel to dry somewhat and then onto a plastic cutting board.

Place five pieces of shrimp on the bottom third of the wrapper, followed by some rice noodles, bean sprouts, cilantro and cucumber.  Roll the wrapper as described above. Eyeball the amounts of the noodles, bean sprouts, cilantro and cucumber so that they are equally divided over the 12 rolls.

Finish wrapping the remaining rolls and serve with the sauce below.

SPRING ROLL DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. soy sauce
• 1 oz. (two tablespoons) ponzu sauce
• 1 oz. (two tablespoons) rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons hot chile oil
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

How to Prepare at Home

Simply whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Additional optional ingredients include minced ginger, garlic, Thai chiles, cilantro, and sugar.

Chef Mark R. Vogel

What’s The Difference Between Sauté, Pan Fry and Stir Fry

There was an interesting discussion over at The Reluctant Gourmet Cooking Community a while back regarding the difference, if any, between pan frying and sautéing.  The two techniques are similar in that they are both dry heat cooking methods in which foods are cooked over direct heat.  The differences between the two are subtle, but it is worth making the distinction, just so there is no confusion, especially when reading a recipe.

Sauté

To sauté means to cook small pieces of food over medium-high to high heat until browned on the outside and cooked through.  I think of shrimp, cut vegetables and meat that has been cut into small pieces. The term sauté comes from the French “to jump.”

The jumping is of two types, one more important to the technique than the other. The jumping refers to the way the pieces of food appear to jump in the pan as the moisture is forced out by the high heat of the pan and oil. Jump also refers to the very chef-ly manipulation of the pan, allowing the cook to toss the pieces a bit into the air so they cook evenly.

While that maneuver is impressive, it is not necessary to achieve a sauté since all it really does is make the food leave the cooking surface, and therefore slow down the cooking process a bit.  For myself, I make sure that the food cooks evenly while I’m sautéing by moving the food around with a wooden spatula.

Pan Fry

A pan fry takes place at a little lower heat than does a sauté.  This is because the food to be pan-fried, such as chicken breasts, steak, pork chops or fish fillets, is not cut into pieces before cooking.  Pan frying requires a lower heat so that the exterior of the food doesn’t overcook while waiting for the interior of the food to cook.

You still use the same amount of oil - just enough to glaze the pan - but the temperature should be lower during a pan fry.  It’s important to note that the oil should always be hot enough to ensure that the moisture in the food can escape in the form of steam.  The force of the steam keeps the oil from soaking into the food.  This is important, even if you’re just talking about a little bit of oil.

Dry Heat Cooking Method

The thing to remember about cooking in oil, regardless of whether you’re sautéing, pan frying or stir frying, is that it is a dry heat cooking method.  While the oil is a liquid, it is a fat, so there is no water component.  Oil behaves much differently than water.  Water boils at 212°F.  If your oil is boiling, look out -  it’s way too hot to cook in! It shouldn’t even be smoking or the flavor is ruined.

Water is also called the universal solvent for a reason. Lots of the flavor in food can be transferred to the water. That’s why it’s such a great medium for making stocks and broths. Some flavor compounds are fat soluble, but for the most part, foods cooked in oil have less of a chance of losing flavor to the oil than they do of losing flavor to water.

When we cook with oil, the oil is the medium by which we transfer heat into the food.  The main goal is to cook the food, not to make it taste like oil.

How Hot Should the Pan Be?

Since it takes less time to sauté, and the food is cut in small pieces, precision in temperature is not as crucial in a sauté as is moving the food to ensure even cooking. A good test for making sure the pan is hot enough to sauté is to sprinkle just a few drops of water in the pan. They should immediately boil vigorously and evaporate within a couple of seconds. In the longer process of pan frying, temperature control is a much more crucial factor. In a pan fry, you’re looking for a gentle sizzle.

See video on how hot should the pan be here

Regardless whether you sauté or pan fry, the pan will still develop a fond - the browned bits that stick to the pan during cooking. In both cooking methods, making a pan sauce is the natural next step.  All that is needed is some deglazing liquid—stock, wine, juice, etc - followed by a quick reduction and maybe some herbs and a bit of butter.

Shallow Frying

Another type of frying that isn’t talked about as much is the shallow-fry.  A shallow fry is what you do when you make fried chicken, eggplant Parmesan, or beer battered shrimp.  The food sits in hot oil that comes about halfway up the sides of the food.  And, it stands to reason that, when food is completely submerged in oil during cooking it is a deep fry.

All of these types of dry heat cooking are very similar.  They all use oil as a medium for heat delivery.  The only true difference between a sauté and a pan fry is that in a sauté, the food is cut into small pieces and in a pan fry, it is left in larger pieces, like a fillet.

The only difference between a shallow fry and a deep fry is the depth of the oil.  In a shallow fry, you have to flip the food to make sure all sides are cooked.  In a deep fry, it is possible to completely submerge the food in the oil, decreasing the necessity for flipping.

Now, where does a stir-fry factor in to this discussion?

As far as I can tell, the only real difference between a sauté and a stir fry is the shape of the pan.  Both techniques require small pieces of food, high heat and a very little oil.  Both techniques generally end with the making of a quick sauce through deglazing the pan.

One difference might be, although I don’t have any solid evidence other than my own experience to back this up, is that in a sauté, the food is generally taken out of the pan and kept warm while you make the sauce.  In a stir fry, the sauce is generally made with all the food still in the pan so it all gets evenly coated.

What’s In A Name

So, while all these frying techniques are similar, the differences are worth noting.  Do remember that different terms mean different things to different people in different parts of the country or the world.  Often, the differences are purely semantic:  what one person might call a shallow fry, another might call a pan fry.  It can get a bit confusing, and I think that’s why there has been so much discussion about the topic.  I hope that this discussion clears things up a bit.

I would love to hear how you describe these cooking terms and what they mean to you.

Related Topics

How Hot Should Your Pan Be When Sauteing?

How to Saute

How to Pan Roast

Cooking Techniques