Sometimes it may be far more convenient to buy a piece of chicken for a meal; however, do you realise how much of a premium you are paying to have someone joint a chicken for you? Whenever I am at the supermarket, I always look at the cost per gram rather than the cost per packet of an item. While also looking at the quality of produce, I’m also ensuring I am always buying the best value option available. Buying a whole chicken may seem expensive, but per gram, it is by far the most cost-effective way to purchase chicken meat, especially if the giblets are included. Even if I don’t want to cook the whole bird right away, I’ll always buy the whole chicken, and I advise you to do the same.
You can easily refrigerate or freeze the other pieces until you need them. The best part of all, you can easily make a stock which can be used in all sorts of soups, risottos, sauces, gravies and much more. Once I’ve made a stock, I will keep a small bowl in the fridge to use right away and then freeze small portions to defrost whenever necessary to add extra depth of flavour to my dishes.
Make sure your knives are sharp before starting. You will need a large and sturdy chopping board and a sharp chef’s knife. You can also use a boning knife, a carving knife or a butcher’s knife, but a chef’s knife is a good all-rounder.
1. Remove the legs
Remove the chicken from its packaging and place it on your chopping board. Start by removing the legs. To do this, gently cut the skin between the leg and the breast at the top, then put your knife down. Hold the leg firmly in one hand and place your other hand on the breast. Bend the leg backwards until it pops out of the joint. Now, take your knife and cut between the joint. Now do the same on the other side.
2. Seperate the thighs and drumsticks
Find the joint between the thigh and drumstick with your fingers on one of the legs. Find the gap between the hinge joint, then cut through the joint with your knife. Now repeat with the other leg.
3. Remove the wings
Removing the wing is similar, however, not quite as easy, but it becomes simple with practice. The joint is located under the breast. Stretch out the wing, then angle your knife in towards the bird at an angle down. Cut in until you get to the joint, then cut down. Now repeat with the other wing.
4. Remove the breasts
Turn the bird so that the front of the breast is facing towards you. Feel down the top to find the breastbone. Run your knife slowly and firmly down one side of the breastbone towards you. When you reach the wishbone at the front, hold your knife tightly and place your other hand on top of the knife. Firmly bring the knife down to cut through the wishbone in one motion. Now you can slowly start cutting the breast away from the bird’s ribcage. Take your time, slowly cutting along the bone in repeated motions from back to front. Repeat on the other side.
At this point, you will have removed all the pieces from the bird. Don’t worry if you haven’t removed every scrap of meat from the carcass, as it will just add flavour to your stock. I like to remove the drumstick knuckles and wingtips from the legs and wings, too, and add them to my stock with the carcass.