Cutting Up a Whole Chicken
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Every cook is confronted at least a few times with having to cut up a whole chicken. But don't sweat it—it only takes a few minutes and is easy to do with a decent pair of scissors and a sharp knife. Because whole chickens are usually cheaper, you'll wind up saving money.
1. Using a chef's knife, cut off the legs, one at a time, by severing the join between the leg and the body.
2. Cut each leg into 2 pieces—the drumstick and the thigh—by slicing through the join that connects them. Your knife should glide right through the joint—if you hit something hard, you're not cutting through the joint.
3. Flip the chicken over and remove the wings by slicing through each wing joint.
4. Turn the chicken (now without its legs and wings) on its side and, using scissors, remove the back from the chicken breast. (The back can be saved for stock, if desired.)
5. Flip the breast skin-side down and, using a chef's knife, cut it in half through the breast plate (marked by a thin white line of cartilage).
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