Cutting Up a Chicken

You’ll need to follow a few simple steps to cutting up a chicken successfully. Chickens bought in the supermarket already cut up into portions make life easy for the busy cook but, weight for weight, they are much more pensive than buying a whole bird. By jointing a chicken at home you save money and also get the trimmings for making your own stock.

There are a number of ways to joint a chicken; it’s up to you how you do it, which may depend upon the number of people you are feeding. By following the two methods shown below, a chicken will yield eight relatively even-sized portions.

The wings are perhaps the smallest portion on a chicken, so if you need a larger piece than just a wing, which in my family is the favourite part, cut the wing with some of the breast attached to it to make the portion meatier.

Either leave the legs whole as one portion, or divide each leg into thigh and drumstick.

If you must remove the skin, simply pull it away from the meat, from one end of the joint to the other. My family prefers the skin on. Contrary to many medical opinions, the skin is very good for you.

Remember that for casseroles it is best to leave the leg portions, and perhaps the breasts as well, on the bone to keep their shape.

Use a sturdy kitchen knife with a medium length blade, which is sharp enough to slice through the flesh and the joints. Use a heavy board to cut on and make sure it cannot slide about on your counter top.

Feel the ball and socket joints with your fingers so you can cut cleanly between the bones.