Untitled Document

Whole Gourmet Natural Cooking

How to Cut a Whole Chicken
Yield: 8-10 chicken parts

Cutting up a bird yourself is economical and also ensures that all parts you use are from the same bird. This is rarely the case when buying pre-cut poultry at the counter. As a bonus, the extra parts can be used to make stock.

REMOVING THE LEGS -- Pull the leg away from the body and cut into the skin close to the thigh to reveal the meat. As you cut, push with your fingers under the leg so that the bone pops out of its socket. Flip the bird over and cut up and around the little nugget of meat around the mid-back. Cut down to the bottom of the thigh near the tail and then come back right through the ball joint to detatch the leg. Repeat with the other leg.

SEPARATING THE DRUMSTICK FROM THE THIGH -- Flex the leg to crack the ball joint (you might have to dry the chicken with a clean towel to kep your hands from slipping). With the inner side upward, cut through the skin to reveal the leg meat. Cut right where the thin line of fat separates the drumstick and thigh. If your knife hits a very hard bone, move it over slightly until the knife can cut through fairly easily. You'll hear a slight crack as you go though the joint.

REMOVING THE WINGS -- For a more ample serving, you can remove the wings with some breast meat attached. With the bird breast-side up, make a cut into the breast about 1 inch up from the wing joint. Pull the wing away from the body and cut along the ribs until you reach the ball joint. Cut through the joint and detach the wing.

REMOVING THE BACKBONE -- Place the bird breast-side down. Using poultry shears or a sharp knife, cut through the rib bones on either side of the backbone. The thin ribs should cut fairly easily. Cut as close to the backbone as possible. Remove the backbone.

SEPARATING THE BREASTS (BONE IN) -- Stretch the breast skin evenly over both breasts, then flip the bird breast-side down. Using a sharp knife, cut down through the middle of the reddish breast bone.

DEBONING THE BREASTS-- Remove the backbone (above). Lay the breast, meat-side up, on a cutting board. From either side of the breast bone, cut diagonally downward along the ribs. Stay close to the ribs, so that you remove as much meat as possible.