Jointing a chicken

emiff6

look here for a basic guide with pictures for cutting up a chicken:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Cooking-Tips--Techniques-642/cut-up-a-chicken.aspx

Gefjun

I'd use leg or thigh for this recipe. It's cheaper for one thing and I think it has a better flavour and nicer texture when casseroled.

Chicken is a fairly general purpose animal when it comes to cooking with no part of the animal which particularly needs slow cooking, so you could use any cut with this.

Penelope_Penguin

Kevie192 wrote: »

This is gonna sound like a silly question but I have a recipe that calls for part-boned chicken breasts... The recipe is here.

What exactly is that cut?

Whilst we're on the subject, what is the difference between a chicken leg and a chicken leg quarter?

Are there instructions anywhere on how to do this? I'm tempted to buy a M&S whole chicken and do it myself if I knew how?

A part-boned chicken breast still has some of the bones attached (I think it's rib cage - ages snce I saw one - my new butcher tends to debone everything )

A chicken leg is removed from the bird at the hip. A chicken leg quarter is literally a chicken cut into 4, and it's one of the pieces that has the leg (rather than the wing) attached

Delia shows you how to joint a chicken; lots on you tube, too. You'll find it much cheaper to buy a whole chicken and do it yourself

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread, to give you more ideas.

heretolearn_2

I've never studied how you are supposed to do it properly but it is quite easy. I've got a pair of real heavy duty kitchen scissors and use those (two-handed through the hard bits). I just cut all along one side of the breast bone, flip it over and cut from neck to bum on the 'underneath' of the chicken and it's in two halves. After that I just chop it up according to how many bits I need; sometimes each half in half again so that we get nice big chicken quarters, and then you can also take off the thighs and drumsticks.

meritaten

one tip I picked up from working a deli counter - its much easier to cut up a chicken, using (clean and kept for that purpose) garden secatuers!
I often buy a chicken from Aldi just to roast and cut up to freeze. soooooooo handy when you want a quick meal. I dont bother buying chicken breasts or quarters as they work out really expensive compared to whole chickens (I sometimes buy packs of thighs or drumsticks if they are on offer though).
I have to admit I was really scared the first time I jointed an uncooked chicken, but it wasnt as difficult as I thought it would be.......and if you take the legs off first, then the wings its just a matter of cutting whats left in half really! (and thats where the secatuers really come into their own!).

antonia1

I'm new to this old-style cooking (in fact, I'm pretty new to cooking in general), but I'm very keen! I've been looking for how to cut up a chicken (never even seen it does before), and there are some really good videos on the internet. What I want to know is whether buying a whole chicken and cutting it up actually works out cheaper, and what do you use the other bits (ie not breasts) for?

Mrs_Chip

Here is how Queen Delia does it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0OzRLUYB0c

And yes, I would say that it is cheaper to buy a whole chicken and portion it up. When I make The Takeaway Secret chicken curry (calls for breast meat only), I freeze the legs and winglets to use later for southen fried chicken, jerk chicken, stews etc. I also freeze the carcass and when I have two or three I use them to make stock. I only buy FR chicken, and get them from Lidl or Aldi, where they are very reasonable and very good quality.

rising_from_the_ashes

Oh yes, loads cheaper!:D

Looked at chicken at the weekend as have finished those in the freezer - 3 breasts for £6:eek: and a whole chicken for £4. (Managed to get a 3 for £12 deal so £3 for a whole chicken!:j).

If you think about it, you get at last 4 meals from the breasts & legs plus the wings, stock for soup etc. I pick the whole bird when I'm finished with it (underneath etc) and usually have enough to also feed the dog & cats for a couple of days as well.

ETA - great link Mrs Chip, not at all how I do it so good to see another way!

Tink_04

I'm interested in this too as not to good with cutting it up the best I managed was breast for Neal and the rest getting picked at in the fridge by oh lol

Tink_04

That's meal btw lol