Roast Chicken

[Maccapacca]

Hope you lot are right, two good chickens brining for tomorrow.

 

[Sunbed]

Sounds good, however what's the actual purpose of trussing? To me it just seems that it'll prevent direct heat getting to some of the leg meat and therefore make it less crispy in those areas.

I think the purpose is to get the chicken to cook more evenly. Trussing just makes it 'rounder' and more uniform which, as FrenchTart said, may simply be for presentation. I've not experimented so can't really comment on the differences. It might make the thigh meat more juicy, as it's less exposed. You still get plenty of crispy skin with the method I described, so no worries there.

Since I wrote that post I no longer bother with the bacon, as the sausage meat seasons the chicken enough. Also I don't stick rosmary between the skin and meat as I find the flavour too strong now. I just put rosemary and thyme sprigs on the inside, and chopped thyme in with the sausage meat if I can be bothered.