If you are faced with the prospect of cutting up a whole chicken and this is something you've never done before, you could be completely overwhelmed. However, the truth is, cutting a whole chicken is not as difficult as you might think. The key is to have a really sharp knife! Whole chicken is much cheaper than buying one already cut up, so if you're on a tight kitchen budget, this can really help save you some money.
Begin by washing your hands with soap and water. Remove the giblets and the neck from inside the chicken. The giblets are the liver, heart, and gizzard. Some people like to eat these pieces too, but many throw them away. You'll find them wrapped up in paper inside the check body and the neck cavity.
Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold water. Place the chicken breast-side up on your cutting board. The first thing you will do is remove the wings. Keep the knife close to the chicken body and it's easier if you hold the tip of the wing away from the chicken.
Next, you'll want to remove the thighs and the legs. This is not difficult, but you'll need to use some pressure to snap the joint between the hip and the rest of the chicken's body. First, cut the skin between the body of the chicken and the thigh. Now firmly grasp the leg and apply enough pressure to make that hip joint snap. It's loud enough that you will hear it.
Cut the thigh and leg from the body, starting at the tail end and cutting towards the neck. You may have to rock the knife when you get to the hip joint in order to cut the tendons. Pull the leg away from the body and then cut the remaining skin connected to the body. Then cut the leg joint to remove the leg or drumstick from the thigh.
Now, turn the chicken over so that it is on its side. Cut through the side from the tail to neck. You are cutting the chicken in half. You will need to cut through the ribs on each side of the chicken. Once this is done, you can cut the breast into two pieces by using firm pressure down the middle of the breast. Some recipes call for a full breast, but most people find that two breasts are easier to fry.
You can also remove the tail from the back. Some people throw the tail area away, but others may like this piece. Once you have finished, make sure you wash the knife, cutting board, and your hands in warm soapy water. Chicken can often carry salmonella, which can make you quite sick. It's really important to clean up your work space and your hands right after cutting up the chicken.
A great number of delicious recipes use cut up chicken pieces. In addition to the common methods of frying or baking, cut up chicken pieces can be slow-cooked in liquid or boiled to make stock that you can use in all kinds of dishes and to make soups.
Begin by washing your hands with soap and water. Remove the giblets and the neck from inside the chicken. The giblets are the liver, heart, and gizzard. Some people like to eat these pieces too, but many throw them away. You'll find them wrapped up in paper inside the check body and the neck cavity.
Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold water. Place the chicken breast-side up on your cutting board. The first thing you will do is remove the wings. Keep the knife close to the chicken body and it's easier if you hold the tip of the wing away from the chicken.
Next, you'll want to remove the thighs and the legs. This is not difficult, but you'll need to use some pressure to snap the joint between the hip and the rest of the chicken's body. First, cut the skin between the body of the chicken and the thigh. Now firmly grasp the leg and apply enough pressure to make that hip joint snap. It's loud enough that you will hear it.
Cut the thigh and leg from the body, starting at the tail end and cutting towards the neck. You may have to rock the knife when you get to the hip joint in order to cut the tendons. Pull the leg away from the body and then cut the remaining skin connected to the body. Then cut the leg joint to remove the leg or drumstick from the thigh.
Now, turn the chicken over so that it is on its side. Cut through the side from the tail to neck. You are cutting the chicken in half. You will need to cut through the ribs on each side of the chicken. Once this is done, you can cut the breast into two pieces by using firm pressure down the middle of the breast. Some recipes call for a full breast, but most people find that two breasts are easier to fry.
You can also remove the tail from the back. Some people throw the tail area away, but others may like this piece. Once you have finished, make sure you wash the knife, cutting board, and your hands in warm soapy water. Chicken can often carry salmonella, which can make you quite sick. It's really important to clean up your work space and your hands right after cutting up the chicken.
A great number of delicious recipes use cut up chicken pieces. In addition to the common methods of frying or baking, cut up chicken pieces can be slow-cooked in liquid or boiled to make stock that you can use in all kinds of dishes and to make soups.
About the Author:
Michelle is an experienced artice writer whose niche is writing about very easy, but delicious, household cooking. Her articles often stress the many advantages of crock pot pot roast like crock pot recipes, which is considered one of her favorites.