Experienced cooks, your opinions please?

Question

I am uncertain about the wisdom of an instruction in Mr. Richard Grausman's book "At Home With the French Classics." In his recipe for Roast Stuffed Chicken with Truffles, he suggests that the chicken may be truffled one to two days in advance and then refrigerated. If this is done, he instructs, the chicken must then be brought to room temperature before proceeding with the stuffing and roasting.

Is there any danger in leaving a 5-pound chicken sitting out long enough to reach room temperature? I assume Mr. Grausman has used this method without ill effects, but it just seemed a little, well, icky to me. Any thoughts?

Yes, I said and meant "truffled", not "trussed". Please note my question asks for experienced cooks.

Answer 1

Grausman is right. In an ideal world, the chicken would have been farm fresh, and the kitchen's ambient temperature a "normal" 18C.
However....

Answer 2

It seems "icky" to me, too. Where I buy my poultry, they have a large sign promenently displayed over the poultry case that reads, "Use or freeze poultry within 24 hours of purchase."

I personally would not truffle a chicken, refrigerate for 24-48 hours, then let it sit out for the amount of time it takes the chicken to come completely to room temperature unless room temperature is in the 35-38 degree Fahrenheit range (1.5-3 degree Celsius).

Answer 3

I'm afraid Mr. Grausman's ideas are "gross" to me....no joking about it....poultry is the worst to be left out the surface starts to warm up and the inside stays colder and the bacteria is forming and and can develop into a nightmare for anyone who eats it.

I would follow the most up to date health information cooking any meats and either have them in the refrigerator to thaw out or kept frozen until needed and never left out to thaw. I've put some meats in ice water and changed the water often to thaw but never on the kitchen counter.

I just read about stuffing the chicken in advance...I'm totally against it....most cooks are also. It has to do with the temperature and the safety of the stuffing and the waiting time before it's carved. Just too many chances to take for me. I'd bake it separate in a casserole dish.

Best of luck,
Mama Jazzy Geri

Answer 4

the key is to allow it to JUST reach room temp, not to let it sit out for several hours. by allowing it to reach room temp before stuffing and cooking it, you are making sure that it will cook thouroghly all at the same time, rather than the cold outer part getting hot and then heating as it goes into the chicken. this keeps the chicken moist all the way through rather than having a dry outer shell and a raw center.

he knows what he is talking about- leave it out for no longer than an hour before finishing the cooking process (and stuffing it after it is room temp--to prevent salmonella)

Answer 5

II could be used as instructed, but I would be very sure that the chicken and stuffing both get to the proper temps, to kill all the dangerous microbes. I myself would follow the recipe and make the bird the day of entertaining.

Answer 6

I think he means the chicken may be "TRUSSED" in advance, rather than "TRUFFLED." In which case, I would allow the chicken to defrost (if it's frozen), in the refrigerator, and then stuff it. That's my take on the instructions - and what I would do.

Answer 7

yes, there is a danger. it is called salmonella poisoning. While it mostly only kills the very young and very old. It is very painful and contagious.

I had it. And was sent pamphlets about it afterwords...as required by law, to learn about it.(although I caught mine from a fast food chain)...

Don't do it...it is not worth it!

In older times, it was beleived that food shouldn't go directly from stove to fridge and vice versa.

It has been proven how ever, that this is the best thing to do. Letting certain foods (and poultry is a *big* one)....get to reoom temperature...is when they develope the bacterias.

Hope that helps you...good luck!

Answer 8

I have an old French cookbook that requires vegetables to be cut on the same cutting board with raw chicken, to absorb the juices.

I don't do that, nor should you let your bird reach room temperature.

Answer 9

if you are using a fresh free range chicken then no problem to leave for an hour to get to room temp,but if it a supermarket plastic wrapped one then no, it has already been about for a while, giving the bacteria time to start to grow.

Answer 10

10-15 minutes is good enough, just leave it out long enough for the oven to hit the temp