Jointing a chicken

**purpleprincess**

Hello!! :hello:

I need help regarding chicken! I have decided to progress from buying chicken breasts, I know I know!!

I am going to buy a whole chicken instead, my question is...............

what to do with it!! :think: I know to cook the whole thing first, or maybe not???? How do I disjoint the thing? And how to I get chunks like you would from a chicken breast? What, where, when and why??!!!

And please feel free anyone to move me to a more appropriate place!!

Thanks!!

chewy62

hi! I'm glad you asked this cos I would like to know too!Whole chickens are so much cheaper and always seem to be on offer. I usually cook it as a whole and just use it as it is, but it seems that you can use the cooked bits to make curry etc. and then cook it agagin.
I'm always scared about re-heating chicken and rice, so hopefully some-one can help us!!!!

Pink.

There are step by step instructions and pictures here on how to cut up a whole chicken.

Pink

snax

Do a google search for - how to take a chicken off the bone - lots of info ... like Basic method with a raw chicken here ..... http://www.ehow.com/how_2069_bone-whole-chicken.html

If you have never done anything like this before [and you don't sound like you have] then you may not like the sight or slight smell.
Also you need to use a 'sharp' knife and I can almost guarantee that you will cut yourself if you are a beginner.

Cooked chicken can be 'pulled' apart into legs and breasts when cold and cut up into chunks [just pull the skin off and discard and then pull or strip or 'twist' the meat away from the leg bones] use this meat for curries etc
hope it helps
S.

ps. you could ask a friendly butcher to show you if you buy the chicken of him/her ... it only takes a minute if you know how.

ChocClare

You can joint your chicken raw and use as you would if you'd bought the pieces separately, as pink-winged's link shows above. I do this quite often, though it is quite time-consuming. But Tesco currently has BOGOF on whole chickens, so for £2.99, you get 4 breasts, 4 drumsticks, 4 thighs, 4 wings plus whatever remains on the carcase, so that's fantastic value!
If you don't feel brave enough to face that, you can just roast your chicken in the oven (or your two chickens, if you've bought them on BOGOF) - have one for your Sunday lunch, and let the other go cold. Then roll up your sleeves; pull off all the skin (unless you particularly want it) and start pulling bits off! The legs should come off easily and you can cut them into thigh and drumstick; similarly the wings; the breasts will come off as complete breasts but may need a bit of coaxing. You can get every scrap of meat off the carcase (and then chuck the carcase and bones into your stockpot to make soup!). Chop up the cooked chicken and use in any number of recipes - as long as it's heated through it will be perfectly safe, and can be frozen successfully too. So how about:
Chop an onion, fry gently till softened; add mushrooms; add chopped chicken and fry a couple of minutes. Now either:
- add a spoonful of garam masala; fry a few mins; add stock, bring to boil, reduce heat and stir in some cream and chopped coriander for a quick curry;
or
- add a glass of wine and some stock; bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened; top with puff pastry and put in the oven as chicken and mushroom pie;
or
- tip a can of campbell's soup over the top and cook through; serve as is with rice or use as the basis for chicken pie;
or
- mix in some ham and cheese; take off heat; spread over a pastry case; pour over egg and milk mixture and bake to make a yummy quiche;
or
- make a thickish white (or cheese) sauce, incorporate chicken mixture in it, wrap in pancakes, top with grated cheese and bake in oven.
I could go on and on, but I've got to go and make my own dinner now! Chicken is so versatile, and most of the above freeze (not the quiche, and leave the cream out of the curry if you're going to freeze it and add once it's defrosted) - you can even freeze slices of chicken with gravy, as long as you heat through thoroughly once they're defrosted. Have fun!

arkonite_babe

LOts of recipe ideas in the MEGA INDEX for chicken.

Have a look at those and remember that a recipe is basically a blueprint, experiment and try your own variations

Have fun!

Sarahsaver

I have a copy of Leiths cookery bible which shows you how to do that. I completely deboned a whole chicken once. Practice makes perfect, the more you do it the easier it gets, and you get the bones to make stock with too:)

**purpleprincess**

Coo-el!!! :cool:

Thanks for all the tips!! I feel ready to chop up a chicken now! I think what I might do is cook it and then strip it of meat, I don't have a knife big enough or sharp enough to get through a chook I don't think!!!! :rotfl: :rotfl:

And bonus for the tip on BOGOF chickens in Tesco! Are they fresh or frozen? And loadsa chicken you get too!

Bargain_Rzl

purpleprincess - they're fresh. They have a red label and the offer ends on Sunday.

**purpleprincess**

Oooop, must get down there super quick then!! Thank you!! Just hope they've got some!!

Ronankfan

I have 6 chickens sitting in my freezer now !!!!!!!!