Why are whole chickens so much cheaper than pieces? Because the store didn’t have to do a thing except bag the bird and place it on display. Being able to “fabricate” (cut up) a chicken into useable portions can save you quite a bit of money at the grocery store each week.
By cutting up your own chicken, you’re cutting out (no pun intended) the pesky extra costs commonly found at the market! While you may not be able to break down a chicken in 18 seconds on your first try, after a few practice sessions, you’ll be the fastest chicken cutter in the hood. “The key is to find and expose the joints and cut between them for easy separation.” – Chef Janet
Step 1: Loosen up: Remove the whole chicken
from the refrigerator and let it stand for 10 to 15
minutes to warm up slightly. With the breast-side
up, gently press on the bird to flatten and loosen
joints.
Step 2: Wings: Grab hold of one of the wings and
loosen the joints by gently pulling and twisting.
Using a sharp boning knife, cut the skin and
tendons on the wing bone – this will allow you to
easily separate the skin and tendons
Step 3: Thighs and legs: Bend the thigh and leg
backwards to pop the joint. Using your boning
knife, slice the skin to expose the meat and bone.
Using your fingers, gently pull the leg from the
bones, being careful to keep the oyster attached.
Step 4: Breasts and tenderloins: Find the center
breast bone. Run your knife along the side of the
bone from the top of the breast to the bottom,
until the breast is completely separated from the
breast and keel bones. Using your fingers, gently
pull the breast meat away from the bones.
Step 5: Save the bones! “Don’t throw away the
chicken bones or carcass. Wrap them in plastic
wrap and freeze once you have 3 or 4 saved up,
use them to make chicken stock.” – Chef Chanel