There are so many things to think about when planning a Thanksgiving dinner. Worried that your turkey won’t keep its shape or roast evenly? Maybe you should use string to truss it to pull the bird into a more compact shape that will help ensure that it roasts evenly. Here are the directions in a hundred-year-old cookbook.
These types of ties looks so easy to do, but when I am not looking at the diagrams, my brain goes blank!
A YouTube video would be easier to follow. . . (but this was 1924).
And they were grateful to have those illustrations!
Good point – many 1924 cookbooks did not have illustrations. This was a “modern” cookbook.
Instead of trussing a turkey now I spatchcock it!
I clearly am behind the times. I learned a new term when I read your comment – spatchcock. I just googled it, and it looks like a great way to prepare a turkey.
Yep…. its a great way to cut the time on the cooking. I spread the Turkey out over the stuffing and it works out great…But I have often wondered where the term “spatchcock” came from.
I’m going to have to give this a try. I’ll probably start with a chicken.
Yep Give it a go… it will cut down on the cooking time …
I’ve never tried this. Next chicken I will do so.
I adore the recipes and tips shared on 100yago.
I like to stuff orange slices between the flesh and skin; Orange chicken. hahaha Also, opening up the skin also is a way to get crispy skinned Chix.
I learned while working a Bakery Deli to make a slice in the side of the skin near the bottom, and insert the drumstick ends cross-wise. We did multiple chickens at a time, roasted in a large pizza oven when a local pizzeria closed.
Thanks for the tips. These are great suggestions. It’s awesome how the pizza oven was repurposed during the off-hours.
Looks pretty much how I was taught to do it – I guess there are only so many ways to truss a turkey!
This is something I was never taught. My mother just let the turkey spawl (that might not be the right word). When I did this post, I wondered if trussing a turkey significantly improved the cooked bird enough to be worth the effort.
It helps when you cook the turkey breast side down which is how I do it to make the meat stay moist… Also put a bottle of white wine in the cavity. Makes the gravy delicious!!!
Thanks for the tip about putting the breast side down. Putting wine in the cavity sounds good. I never would have thought of doing that.
It does make the best gravy that way!!!!