Sophie Bennett
Learning how to joint a chicken is a worthwhile skill, especially if you're on a budget. It's often cheaper to buy a whole chicken and joint it yourself than to buy separate chicken pieces. You'll also be able to maximise the chicken better, and use the joints for a delicious sauce. You can joint a chicken into 8 pieces, and all you need is a sharp knife and a chopping board.
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What You'll Learn
Remove the legs
To remove the legs of a chicken, first turn the chicken breast-side up. Pull one leg away from the body and cut between the leg and the rest of the body. You can also stretch the leg out and slice the skin, then push down and pop the joint out. Push the leg down to pop the ball of the thigh bone out of its socket, then cut through the rest of the sinews and skin. Repeat on the other side.
To separate the thighs from the drumsticks, run your finger along the thigh bone until you feel the joint between the thigh and drumstick. Cut through the leg joint. You can also cut through the middle joint of the leg to separate the thigh and drumstick.
To keep the oysters attached to the leg, make a cut across the top of the oysters and release the sinew holding them in place with your knife and thumb.
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Remove the breasts
To remove the breasts, pull the skin over the breast to ensure it is fully covered. Cut between the drumstick and breast, keeping the knife close to the breast, but on the outside of the carcass bone at the entrance to the cavity, until the joint holding the thigh to the carcass is exposed. Do the same on the other side.
Place your fingers under the thigh and your thumb on top of it and push up with your fingers to 'pop' the thigh joint. Repeat on the other side.
To divide the breast pieces, tuck the attached wing tips behind them, then take an imaginary line from the bottom of the wing to the 'cleavage'. Cut through the meat with your knife, then through the bone with a pair of scissors to leave a diamond-shaped tapering piece of breast and a smaller, but thicker, piece with the wing attached. Trim off the end wing pinion.
To halve the breast portions, cut at an angle across the breast. Cut through the flesh with a knife and finish with poultry shears to cut the bones to give a cleaner cut.
Alternatively, you can remove the breasts by cutting down the sides of the breast bone, following the contour of the rib cage, to cut through the meat as close to the ribs as you can until it comes away. For breasts on the bone, cut down the side of the breast bone, but instead of continuing to cut the meat away from the rib cage, use poultry shears to cut through the rib cage. Turn the carcass over again and cut away where the breast is still attached to its side.
To separate the breasts from the wings, feel where the wing joint attaches to the breast (this is the bone you will normally find attached to the chicken breast when sold as a suprême) and cut through the joint. For a suprême, run the knife around the joint that unites them until you see the bone, then pull the bone from its socket joint. For a boneless breast, cut the breast meat away from the socket joint.
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Separate the wings from the breasts
To separate the wings from the breasts, you will need to follow these steps:
First, turn the chicken so that it is breast side up, with the neck end facing away from you. Pull the skin over the breast to make sure it is fully covered.
Next, feel where the wing joint attaches to the breast. This is the bone that you will usually find attached to the chicken breast when sold as a suprême. Run your knife around the joint that unites the wing and breast until you see the bone.
Now, for a suprême, pull the bone from its socket joint. If you would prefer a boneless breast, cut the breast meat away from the socket joint.
Finally, trim off the end wing, and keep it for the stock pot. If you would like to divide the breast into two portions, tuck the attached wing tip behind the breast. Then, take an imaginary line from the bottom of the wing to the 'cleavage' and cut through the meat with your knife. Finish by cutting through the bone with a pair of scissors, leaving a diamond-shaped tapering piece of breast and a smaller, thicker piece with the wing attached.
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Halve the breast portions
To halve the breast portions, you will need to separate the wings from the breasts. For a suprême, run your knife around the joint that unites the wing and the breast until you see the bone, then pull the bone from its socket joint. For a boneless breast, cut the breast meat away from the socket joint.
To divide the breast pieces, tuck the attached wing tips behind them, then take an imaginary line from the bottom of the wing to the cleavage. Cut through the meat with a knife, then cut through the bone with a pair of scissors. This will leave you with a diamond-shaped tapering piece of breast and a smaller, thicker piece with the wing attached. Trim off the end wing pinion.
You can also cut at an angle across the breast. Cut through the flesh with a knife and finish with poultry shears to cut the bones for a cleaner cut.
Alternatively, you can cut straight through the breastbone, then turn the chicken halves over and stretch out the leg. Cut through the line dividing the leg from the breast.
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Identify the oysters
Chicken oysters are the small, dark meat pieces on the back of a chicken, near the lower spine and thighs. They are considered a delicacy by many chefs and are called oysters because they are roughly the same size and shape as standard sea oysters.
To identify the oysters, place the chicken breast-side down on a board with the neck end away from you. Cut through the skin, down the middle of the carcass, from the neck end to just above the parson's nose. Use your thumbs to feel for the oysters – you will find two bumps on either side of the centre of the back, at the top of the thigh.
Once you have located the oysters, you can remove them by making a cut across the top and releasing the sinew holding them in place with your knife. Stretch the leg out and slice the skin, then push down and pop the joint out.
It is important to note that removing the oysters is entirely optional. You can leave them attached to the leg joints if you prefer. However, if you do choose to remove them, it is much easier to do so from a cooked chicken than a raw one.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a large, sharp knife, a small sharp knife, a chopping board and a plate for the jointed pieces of chicken.
Place the chicken breast side down on a board with the neck end away from you. Make a cut through the skin, down the middle of the carcass, from the neck end to just above the parson's nose. Then make a cut on either side of the parson's nose.
Pull one leg away from the body and cut between the leg and the rest of the body. Push the leg down to pop the ball of the thigh bone out of its socket, then cut through the rest of the sinews and skin. Repeat on the other side.
Run your finger along the thigh bone until you can feel the joint between the thigh and the drumstick. Cut through the leg joint.
Cut down the sides of the breastbone, following the contour of the rib cage, cutting through the meat as close to the ribs as possible until it comes away. Turn the carcass over and cut away where the breast is still attached to its side.
