How to Cut up a whole chicken

Chef shows you how to cut up a whole chicken. It's much more economical to buy a whole bird and cut it up than to buy the parts.

Begin by making two diagonal cuts, one on each side of the bird, just behind the leg joints and through the back bone. This will divide the bird into two pieces: the legs and the breast.

Working with the leg portion of the carcass, bend each leg at the joint to break the joint. Then use a knife to cut the leg/thigh piece from the carcass. This dark meat is best if it is braised. Put the backbone portion in the stockpot to use for soups and sauces.

Slip the skin from over the breast meat on the breast portion of the bird. Run your hand under the skin to loosen it from the meat before trying to remove it.

Cut between the breast bone and ribs and the breast meat to remove the boneless skinless chicken breasts from the carcass.

Cut at the joint to remove the wings from the breast portion. Cut each wing into three pieces. Save these in a bag in the freezer until you have enough for a meal. To prepare them, marinate them for an hour then roast in a 450-degree oven 30 minutes basting them with marinade after 15 minutes.

Remove the tenders, the strip of meat, from the back side of the breast. Save these in a bag in the freezer until you have enough for a meal. Two or three make a portion.

When the whole bird is completely cut up, a job that takes mere minutes with a little practice, you'll have a week's worth of meals waiting to be prepared. Be sure to put the bones in the stockpot for soups and sauces.