How to Examine and Separate Chicken

You probably use chicken in many dishes, so you might want to learn how to separate the pieces. You actually can save money by buying a whole chicken and carving it into pieces yourself, rather than buying the pieces separately.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Chicken
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife

1. Detach the legs of the chicken. Put the chicken on the cutting board so that it is breast-side up. Hold on to the bottom of one of the legs and pull it away from the rest of the chicken. Take the knife and slice through the skin on both sides. Twist the leg until the joint pops out of the hip and cut between the joint and the socket. Repeat on the other leg.
2. Separate the thigh from the drumstick by steadily cutting through the joint connecting them.
3. Disconnect the wings from the rest of the chicken. Remove both wings in the same fashion as with the drumsticks and thighs.
4. Cut the body of the chicken in half. Start at the tail end and cut all the way to the top. Cut through the bones of the ribcage, parallel to the spine.
5. Remove the chicken breast from the rest of the bird by separating the shoulder bones. Cut the breast in half so that there are 2 pieces.
6. Examine the chicken. If the chicken has been cooked, be sure that it is not pink. It will be pinker around the joints, as this is where most of the blood supply is located. Do not be alarmed and think that this area is not completely cooked.