HELP!!! - I'm afraid of cutting up whole chickens

Looking at lots of cool recipes now - they all call for cutting up a chicken. In Japan they really only sell boneless chicken and whole chickens - so I must deal with this.

Anybody have a good link to a video or written demonstration of this? I know it's not a huge deal - I just need to DO IT!

Thanks

Pretty muck the way I do it: Cutting Chicken. If I'm cooking on the grill, I like to leave the bone attached to the breast, splitting the breast bone in half and removing the back section and keeping the legs intact instead of splitting the drumstick and thigh.
While not about cutting chicken, this is fun: Julia Child on Chicken

[Jenise]

Easily done, John! Long as you've got a good knife, you'll be slicing right through those joints in no time. There's a logic to it you'll instantly see as soon as you get it on it's back.

Right, you generally go for the joints, the hard part is when you have to cut through the bones.

After you've done wing wing leg leg thigh thigh you need to split the breast at the sternum, and ideally cut down the spine.

Your question makes me remember a kind of funny incident. I bought a meat cleaver because I was making a kind of stock that used turkey wings. And you had to cut them up in a way that involved cutting halfway through the humerus and halfway thru the radius and ulna. My godson was visiting, he is a medical doctor now, but he was cowering in the pantry because as my hands got greasier with the turkey fat he was a little afraid that I would end up throwing the cleaver across the kitchen. It was fun. That is why butchers have band saws.

F

[Robin Garr]

Here's an offbeat but very effective system that I'll admit in public, hoping it doesn't get me thrown out of the Chef's Union: Lose the knives. Use a pair of heavy-duty kitchen scissors. (I have a pair by Oxo that works great.) Find the joints, cut right through. Then cut down the middle of the breast just like following the dotted line, and you're done. You can also easily trim off fatty bits. Quicker, easier and probably a bit safer, even if you're skilled with a knife.

I prefer the version pictured, although you can also get a "poultry shear" that has a finger-hole on one side and just a flat piece on the other. This seems a little weird to me and I'm not sure what the point is.

I prefer the version pictured, although you can also get a "poultry shear" that has a finger-hole on one side and just a flat piece on the other. This seems a little weird to me and I'm not sure what the point is.

The point is, to sell kitchen shears, AND poultry shears!!!!

[Jenise]

I prefer the version pictured, although you can also get a "poultry shear" that has a finger-hole on one side and just a flat piece on the other. This seems a little weird to me and I'm not sure what the point is.

The finger hole is on the bottom side; the flat upper side gives you a kind of power-leverage with your thumb and leading edge of your palm on top a little further forward than they would be with conventional scissors.

See also the pic of 'one dollar chicken' posted at viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23870
The Chinese method of hacking up a chicken fascinates me. I think you need a very sharp cleaver to do it, and to ignore any thoughts about the anatomy of a chicken that divides it up into 'breast', 'wing', 'leg', etc.

Looking at lots of cool recipes now - they all call for cutting up a chicken. In Japan they really only sell boneless chicken and whole chickens - so I must deal with this.

Anybody have a good link to a video or written demonstration of this? I know it's not a huge deal - I just need to DO IT!

Thanks

Be not afraid. Once you've done it a few times it becomes quite easy.

I cannot add to the methods already offered. I too live in Japan, but until last week had not seen a whole chicken for sale. I had previously mentioned that to my Japanese coworkers about not finding whole chickens and they all stated they were too expensive. One of the few things I miss living in Japan is not being able to roast a whole chicken now and then; besides having a hard time finding one, I only have a fish grill(broiler), no western style oven.

Anyway, I have used scissors in the past, and would not criticize their use, but I prefer the knife below which I bought before moving to Japan. It’s called a honesuki and is specifically made for cutting up a chicken. Its single beveled. The blade is about 15 cm long and the handle is quite chunky giving one a good grip as one cuts up a chicken. I also use it to fillet fish.

John and Eric,

I am posting a link that will show how to butterfly a whole chicken. I realize that this is not "cutting up" a whole chicken, but it will allow one to lay each chicken flat in the skillet, or on a grill to cook. I will also post a link to a you tube video on how to cut up a chicken, so click the links.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/butterflychicken.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_I82a7EemA

I am posting a link that will show how to butterfly a whole chicken. I realize that this is not "cutting up" a whole chicken, but it will allow one to lay each chicken flat in the skillet, or on a grill to cook. I will also post a link to a you tube video on how to cut up a chicken, so click the links.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/butterflychicken.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_I82a7EemA

That technique is more commonly known (I think) as "spatchcocking" a chicken. Great method for grilling, Bob.

Mark Lipton

[Robin Garr]

That technique is more commonly known (I think) as "spatchcocking" a chicken. Great method for grilling, Bob.

I love that method and have been doing it for years. Just to start a foodie debate, though, I would argue that "butterflying" has been the common use for years, while the medieval term "spatchcocking" was rediscovered recently and has become kind of a trendy kitchen-geek term but not, probably, "more common."

Well, I just spatchcocked my chicken (though I butterfly lamb).

To take advantage of some great tzatziki (and to not use the oven, it's hot here today) I'm grilled my spatchcocked chicken. Currently with a dry rub of Greekish spices, then planning on a little oil, lemon and garlic. I don't have any Greek wines, but I'm thinking rose or lighter Italian red- any thoughts?

Well, I just spatchcocked my chicken (though I butterfly lamb).

To take advantage of some great tzatziki (and to not use the oven, it's hot here today) I'm grilled my spatchcocked chicken. Currently with a dry rub of Greekish spices, then planning on a little oil, lemon and garlic. I don't have any Greek wines, but I'm thinking rose or lighter Italian red- any thoughts?

My first thought is when is dinner. And I can bring a small array of pinkies from Spain, California, France, and Italy. I think you are on the right track Dale, and I would say that with chicken even from the oven my choice is usually a pink rather than a white.

Well, I just spatchcocked my chicken (though I butterfly lamb).

To take advantage of some great tzatziki (and to not use the oven, it's hot here today) I'm grilled my spatchcocked chicken. Currently with a dry rub of Greekish spices, then planning on a little oil, lemon and garlic. I don't have any Greek wines, but I'm thinking rose or lighter Italian red- any thoughts?

A younger Cru Beaujolais? It seems that your CT profile is no longer public, so I can't peruse your cellar for choices

Mark Lipton

See also the pic of 'one dollar chicken' posted at viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23870
The Chinese method of hacking up a chicken fascinates me. I think you need a very sharp cleaver to do it, and to ignore any thoughts about the anatomy of a chicken that divides it up into 'breast', 'wing', 'leg', etc.

The point of the hacking up in the "one dollar chicken" is to cut the cooked chicken into pieces small enough to be eaten with chopsticks. There are no knives at the Chinese table. It's a lot easier to hack up cooked meat and poultry--the meat and skin are more tender and the bones are more brittle. You do need a very heavy and sharp cleaver to do it, but it's not hard--you just rear back and whack away with all your might.

-Paul W.

hallo i made a video for my chef-studens

preparing:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1075344448411

Cutting for poulet-sautee:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1076597599739

hope you like it

ps:
on my facebook-site kilck here : " In hoher Auflösung ansehen " then you get the better view and you can enlarge to screensize.

hallo i made a video for my chef-studens
preparing:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1075344448411
Cutting for poulet-sautee:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1076597599739
hope you like it
ps:on my facebook-site kilck here : " In hoher Auflösung ansehen " then you get the better view and you can enlarge to screensize.

Albino, thanks for posting the link to your video on Facebook. I personally am not registered on Facebook, but I am sure that many here are, and that they will enjoy your video.