Paul Gayler

Carving a bird

Appears in
Chicken and Other Birds: From the Perfect Roast Chicken to Asian-style Duck Breasts
Chicken and Other Birds

By Paul Gayler

Published 2015

  • About
  1. Lay the bird breast side up on a large board. Gently bend the wings to locate the wing joints, then cut down firmly through the joints, severing the tendons and separating the wings.

  2. Cut between the thigh and the breast.

  3. Bend the thigh outwards to locate the hip joint. Cut through the hip joint to remove the whole leg. Do the same on the other side.

  4. Cut through the legs to divide each into a drumstick and a thigh.

  5. Hold the bird steady with a carving fork. Using a long knife with a slender blade, start carving the breast, working from the outside towards the breastbone.

  6. Carve the breast into neat, thin slices until you reach the breastbone.