How to truss a chicken (without string)

Many people have their different ways to prepare a chicken for that sunburn in the oven, but I think my way is quick and simple. 

First off, I start my basic roast chicken by letting it swim in yummy juices over night.  In a large, freezer size Ziploc bag squeeze the juice from 3 lemons, add 1/2 c of olive oil, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, a small amount of water and 4 sprigs (large) of rosemary.  I take the rosemary and fold the bunch in two and kind of squeeze and twist to release some of the oils. 

One I have unpacked my chicken, taken out any giblets and/or neck, and rinsed it clean I let it rest for a min on a plate, or in the clean sink.  There is no real need to pat the skin dry at this point because you are marinating.  Shove that big bird in the Ziploc bag and zip it up.  I usually marinate it over night, turning it over once in the morning. 

Now to the trussing...  When you remove the bird from the marinade you want to pat the skin dry with paper towels.  This will help your seasoning stick better.  First thing you want to do is get that bird into your baking dish.  I use a medium size dish with high sides.  The chicken fits just perfect inside. 

Take the wing tips into your hand and fold them back behind the shoulder like if the chicken was scratching it's back.  This will keep your tip from burning and the wing close to the body.  Do this to both sides.

On to the legs...  What you want to do is grab the big flap of skin that is under the leg connected to the thigh.  With a paring knife, stab a small hole in the middle of it and use your fingers to pull it bigger.  If one side breaks or does not tear big enough just use the other side.  Take the leg from the opposite side of the tear and punch it through the hole.  Then take the other leg and do the same criss-crossing the legs inside of the hole. 





Now the chicken is ready to be roasted.  Wash your hands well before touching anything else.  Cover the baking dish with foil and place into a preheated 350 degree oven.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours until almost cooked through.  At this point, take the foil off and raise the temperature to 450 degrees.  Continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes.  Make sure a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165 degrees before you start carving.  ENJOY!!