Boning a Chicken or Duck

Find a knife with a short thin blade and sharpen it extra well. Turn the drawn chicken over and cut along the middle of its back from neck to tail (1). Sliding your knife hard up against the carcass of the bird, work your way round one side, slowly pulling the meat away with your fingers to expose the line for your next cut (2). When you encounter the leg, feel with your free forefinger for the ball and socket joint and slide the point of your knife into it to free it. Continue cutting round, disengaging the wing, but cutting outside the fine flat bone that lies beneath it on the carcass. When you have cut round to the flat side of the breastbone, start on the other side of the back in the same way. Cut the skin from the ridge of the breastbone very carefully indeed as it is paper-thin here. Lift out the carcass, leaving the parson’s nose on it. You can remove the upper leg and wing bones (3) by sliding your fingers and knife down close to the bone and cutting firmly through the joint. Remove the wing tips completely, skin, bone and all, or you can leave the last two wing bones and the drumsticks (shown as dotted outlines) where they are. The flesh can now be flattened out, skin side down, seasoned and sprinkled with wine, and any rich stuffing put in the centre (4). The bird is wrapped round this and made more or less into a chicken shape again, and the opening tied, skewered or sewn together (5). You can roast this stuffed chicken or simmer it in stock.