Marcus Bean

Preparing Chicken: Jointing a Chicken

Appears in
The Good Chicken Cookbook
The Good Chicken Cookbook

By Marcus Bean

Published 2024

  • About
  1. Set the chicken on a secure board and cut off any string. Using a sharp knife, slit the skin between the thigh and the breast and move the leg away from the body so that you can see the joint.

  2. Pull the leg fully away from the body and the leg joint will pop out.

  3. Run the knife through the joint to separate the leg. Repeat with the other leg. This will give you the two legs, each with the drumstick and the thigh together.

  4. To separate the thigh and the drumstick, put the leg on the board and run your finger down the drumstick until you can feel the joint. Slice through the skin at the joint.

  5. Hold the leg firmly at either end, then bend the leg in half to break the leg into two at the joint.

  6. If you need to, use the knife to finish separating the two pieces by cutting through at the joint.

  7. Smooth the skin over the breast. Scrape along the wishbone, using a small knife, then slip your fingers under the bone and snap it out in two pieces to make it easier to cut away the breast. To remove the supreme (the breast and wing), slowly run a sharp knife along the breastbone.

  8. Gradually run the knife down against the inner bone to allow the breast to come away from the carcase.

  9. The chicken breast will still be attached at the bottom by the wing. Slowly pop the wing out of the socket.

  10. Run your knife around to release the supreme.

  11. The fillets are the small, loose pieces of flesh on the under side of the breast. Simply slice these away with a knife, if required.

  12. If you only want the breast, slowly cut round the base of the wing to release and debone the breast. Keep the carcase and trimmings for stock.