How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken | Melissa Clark Recipes | The New York Times, by The New York Times on YouTube. 3 min 53 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 53 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Take the chicken out of the fridge, remove the giblets from the cavity and pat the skin dry with paper towels. Cold meat holds its shape and is easier to cut.
Set the chicken breast side up on the board. Pull one leg away from the body and slice through the skin between the thigh and the breast.
Bend the leg back until you feel the hip joint pop, then cut straight through the joint. Repeat on the other side.
Lay each leg skin side down and find the crease where the thigh meets the drumstick. Cut through that joint to separate them.
Pull a wing away from the body and cut through the shoulder joint close to the breast. Repeat with the second wing, and save the wingtips.
Cut down along one side of the breastbone, angling the blade to follow the curve of the ribcage, until the whole breast half comes free.
Repeat on the other breast half, then peel the small tenderloin off the underside of each breast if it is still attached.
Cut or snip the backbone away from the remaining carcass and keep it, along with the wingtips and skin, for stock.
Rinse your hands, knife and board with hot soapy water straight away, since raw chicken carries bacteria.
Tips and common mistakes
Cut through the soft cartilage at the joints rather than forcing the knife through bone.
Do not rinse the raw chicken under the tap, as splashing water spreads bacteria around the kitchen.
Chill the chicken for 20 minutes first if it feels slippery and hard to grip.
Freeze the backbone, wingtips and skin in a bag until you have enough to simmer into stock.
Questions
Can I use kitchen shears instead of a knife?
Yes. Poultry shears work well for the wings, backbone and joints, and many people find them safer than a knife on slippery skin.
How do I know where the joint is?
Bend the leg or wing backwards until you feel it give. The knife then slides easily through the soft cartilage at that spot.
How long will the cut pieces keep?
Keep them covered in the fridge and cook within one to two days, or freeze the pieces in portions for up to three months.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
