Cutting up a whole chicken can be very tedious and tricky. Theres the drums, the wings, the breasts... And if you don't use the right gadget and right ways to cut it, the cut chicken can turn up really messy! So this is a very detailed guide on how to joint a whole chicken - properly :o) Firstly, there are 2 very basic things you need to have and know : 1 - To have a very sharp and good kitchen knife and 2 - locate the joints by feel before cutting to separate them. Then the following:
1. Chicken legs - Put the chicken breast side up on a chopping board. Pull one leg away from the body. Cut through the skin between the body and leg, cutting down through the meat, and then work it way down to the thigh joint. Bend the leg so that it eases the leg bone from its socket, then cut through the ball-and-socket joint. Repeat with the other leg.
2. Chicken wings - Press one wing against the body of the bird so that both parts of the shoulder are visible. Cut through the skin, then down thorugh the joint to sever. Tuck the wingtip under the shoulder to make a triangular shape joint. Repeat with the other wing.
3. Split the carcass by cutting down around and under both breasts with poultry shears or strong kitchen scissors. Cut through the rib cage, separating the backbone from the breasts. Repeat the other side.
4. Cut along the centre of the breast with poultry sheers or kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, slide a knife under the breats meat on each side of the bone to release 2 boneless breast joints or cut straight down between the breast bone with a large cook's knife to give two joints on the bone.
5. To separate the leg joint into a drumstick and thigh, put the joint skin side uppermost, then flex the drumstick slightly so that you can see where the central joint is. Cut through the ball and socket joint.
Now you have everything in a set of 2 except for a carcass (not in pic) to make your stock with! This can also be used to joint other poultry such as duck or turkey but for small birds, you can leave the thigh joint with the drumstick.or you can go to this link for a video: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-joint-a-chicken-with-a-boning-knife-242088/
