I use whole chickens quite often, for Pho Ga, chicken soup and more recently, Hainanese chicken, a dish typically served in Malaysian restaurants. My first attempt at Hainanese chicken was nearly 6 years ago, when I cooked a large feast for my other half’s immediate family, in celebration of his birthday. It was a huge success for my first try, but I had my mother-in-law cut up the whole chicken for me, considering she has a better understanding of the chicken’s anatomy than I do 😋. Since the COVID-19 lockdown, I have been making Hainanese chicken more frequently, so I figured I would learn how to cut a whole chicken myself, to add a skill into my culinary profile.
I generally follow the guidance provided in the YouTube video below, normally cutting my whole chicken in this particular order:
- Legs: Determine where the joints attach to the body, pop them up and cut through the joint. For Hainanese chicken, I tend to serve the legs whole, but to cut them each into 2 pieces, determine where the drumstick and the thigh meet, then cut through that ball joint. To locate this more easily, look for the line of fat that is present along this joint.
- Wings: Similarly, determine where the joints meet the breast, pop them up and cut through the joint.
- Backbone: Cut through the rib cages until entire backbone is removed.
- Breast: Cut the breast in half, through the breast bone.
After this brief little lesson, I became savvy to how to best handle this intimidating looking chicken. I ain’t no chicken no’mo!
