To Truss a chicken
To Test if the bird is cooked
Roasting times
Carving a chicken
How much per portion
To Truss a Chicken
There are several ways of trussing a bird, but this is one of the
simplest.
1. Insert a skewer right through the body of the bird just below the
thighbone and turn the bird over onto it's breast.
2. First, catching in the wing tips, pass the string under the ends
of the skewer and cross it over the back.
3. Turn the bird over and tie the ends of the string together around
the tail, at the same time securing the drumsticks.
To Test if a Bird is Cooked
1. Take a fine skewer and pierce the thickest part of the thigh. if
the juices run clear, all is well; if they are tinged pink, return to the
oven for a further 10 minutes and test again in a different spot.
2. Always allow at least 15 minutes for possible 'extra cooking'
time when roasting a chicken, as some birds are much thicker and will take
longer than other 'slimline' birds.
3. If taking the bird straight from the refrigerator ( icebox ) to
the oven, increase the cooking time by about 10-15 minutes to ensure it is
cooked properly.
4. As with meat, all poultry should be allowed to stand and "relax"
for about 10 minutes, to make carving easier.
Roasting Times
For both chicken and guinea fowl, allow 20 minutes per 450g / 1lb
plus 20 minutes over in a fairly hot oven, 2000C /
4000F / Gas mark 6. When over 2.7kg / 6lb the extra 20 minutes
is not required and the cooking temperature may be lowered to
1900C / 3750F / Gas mark 5.
Carving Chicken
Special poultry carvers are smaller than ordinary carvers and make
it easier to carve all poultry and game.
1. Place the bird so that one wing is towards your left hand, with
the breast diagonally towards you. Stand it on a board or firm dish.
2. Steadying the bird with the flat of the knife held against the breast,
prise the leg outwards with the fork to expose the thigh joint. Cut
through this cleanly to remove the leg. The leg is usually cut in half
to give the thigh and drumstick and, if the bird is very large, the thigh
can be cut into smaller pieces.
3. Hold the wing with the fork and cut through the outer layer of the
breast, trying to judge where the wing joint is, so that the wing joint is
cut through cleanly at one go.
4. Cut the breast into thin slices parallel with the breast bone.
When stuffing has been cooked in the bird, it should be sliced from
the front of the breast, and the remainder removed with the help of a
spoon.
5. Repeat with the other side, removing first the leg and then the
wing, etc.
How much Per Portion
Allow at least 225g / 8oz raw oven-ready chicken per portion, therefore
a 1.2-1.5kg / 21/2-3lb oven ready chicken will serve
3-4 portions.
Allow 1 quarter or breast portion of chicken per portion.
Allow 2-3 drumsticks or wings per portion.
Allow 2 thighs per portion.