How to Joint a Chicken

Chef Simon Rimmer turns one bird into a week’s worth of grub

1. Legs

Place the bird on a flat chopping board. With a sharp knife, firmly cut through the skin connecting the leg to the breast, then bend the leg back firmly until the bone pops out of its socket. Now cut the leg away from the body and put to one side.

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2. Wings

On the legs you’ve just removed, feel for the bone connecting the thigh to the drumstick and cut through it. A sharp boning knife is best for this. Repeat with other leg. For the wings, just pull them away from the body – they’ll come away quite easily – and cut through the connecting joint.

3. Breasts

Now for the breasts. Using a bold, confident stroke, cut along the length of the breastbone, using the heel of the knife to cut through the wishbone when you reach the neck end. Then gently cut the breast away from the carcass. Repeat for the other breast. You can then pick over the carcass for any loose bits. Remember to keep it for stock/soup etc.

1. Stuffed Chicken Thighs

“Combine cooked couscous with lime juice, chopped chilli, cucumber, red pepper and some olive oil. Cut around the thigh bone and open the thigh out flat. Put a layer of couscous mix in, roll it up, skewer it, seal in a pan, then put in a warm oven (180°C) for 20 mins. Serve with Greek yoghurt.”

2. Stuffed Chicken Breast

“Take one of the chicken breasts and roll it out flat. Whiz up cream cheese, cooked asparagus and lemon juice in a processor until smooth. Spoon onto the chicken breast, add a bit of spinach, then roll that up tight, wrap in cling film, then foil, and poach for 7 mins. Serve with sauteed spuds.”

3. Chicken and Chorizo stew

“Sauté off a few slices of chorizo in some sherry. Add some tinned chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, stock, a little bit of chopped onion. Sweat all that off and bring it up to the boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or so. Put the drumsticks in on the bone and you’ll end up with a lovely little casserole.”

4. Chicken Curry

“Chop the other chicken breast in half. Cut one half into fine strips and use it to make a chicken curry. Just chop up and fry some onions, add mushrooms, tomatoes, lots of curry spices. Just a standard curry sauce, really. Cook that all up and serve with rice and naan bread. Easy.”

5. Chicken Burger

“Mince the other half of that chicken breast. Mix that up with some chopped raw red onion, a chopped clove of garlic, bit of salt and pepper. Mould all that into a burger shape, brush it with oil and then grill it gently. Serve that in a bun with lots of salad and some chips on the side. Smashing.”

6. Orange Glazed Wings

“Put some marmalade, a splosh of brandy and a little water in a pan and boil until it becomes smooth but still sticky. Cook the chicken wings in a pan, then put in the glaze and heat through for about five minutes. Keep turning them so they get well coated in the glaze. They’re a great little snack.”

7. Chilli Chicken Soup

Don’t chuck out the carcass. Put it in a pan, cover it with water, add some roughly chopped onion, a bayleaf, some not particularly strong veggies like parsnips, onions etc (you don’t want things like broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower). Then bring that up to the boil, simmer for a few hours, keep skimming off the fat as you go. Strain that off and you’ll have a beautiful chicken stock. Add some cooked noodles to that, along with any little remnants of the chicken. Chop up a bit of chilli and red pepper and chuck those in. A good basic soup. You could add cream, thai spices, curry, whatever you like. Bon appetit!”

Simon Rimmer is the owner of Greens in Manchester and Earle in Hale.

What to drink

“The great thing about chicken,” says wine expert Olly Smith, author of Eat And Drink, “is that it’s an amazing blank canvas for wine. You can go crazy. The thing to do is match the wine to the most dominant flavour of the dish.” He recommends trying the following…

La Reserve red wine

Aged in French oak barrels, this deep ruby wine has a bouquet of ripe red fruits with a hint of spice and a harmonious oak flavour. (Rs 390 in Bangalore, Rs 440 in Delhi and Rs 550 in Mumbai).

Sauvignon Blanc white wine

Launched in late 2003, this wine is fresh and crisp and has the aroma of gooseberry and freshly mowed grass and is somewhat smoky in character. (Rs 380/410/475).

Cabernet Shiraz red wine

From a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz (Syrah) grapes, this is a full- bodied wine with soft tannins and a delicate spicy taste (Rs 290/ 360/415 respectively).

From the August 2010 issue of FHM India.