You can have a butcher butterfly a chicken for you but if you do it yourself, you can customize it. A sharp cleaver or heavy chef’s knife will make your work easier. Remember, this does not have to be your Julia Child moment.
1. Wash the bird and pat it dry with paper towel. Put it on your work surface.
2. Use your hands to remove any excess fat. Then cut off the excess skin dangling at the cavity. If you want to remove the tail/butt, do it. Discard or set aside in a small bowl.
3. I like to remove the two outer wing joints and save them for making stock. Cut them off at the chicken’s elbow. If you’re going to use them immediately, give them a few whacks to cut through the bone. Set them aside.
4. Because the skin at the drumstick pull back during roasting and can be unattractive if parts of it are still attached to the knees, I whack off the knees to free the skin. The skin neatly retracts during roasting to reveal the drumstick bone, resulting in a clean presentation. This is a nifty French technique that my Mom taught me when I was young.
Lay the chicken on its side. Pull one of the drumsticks out, aim and chop with confidence. Repeat with the other one.
5. Finally, put the bird on its breast. Make an incision through the skin on one side of the backbone. You may already be cutting through the bone. In any event, you have a score mark. Position your knife at the neck and give a gentle downward push to sever the bone, which is thin in that part of the chicken. Cut down the spine to open up the chicken.
If you must, sit the chicken upright and let gravity assist your knife. Aim to yield just enough pressure to cut through the backbone area but not slam down to the breast bone.
Once the chicken is opened up, splay it on your work surface and give it a little push on the breast to flatten. Now, wield your knife to cut on the other side of the backbone to detach it from the chicken. Add the backbone to the wing joints. You’re done.
Use the fat for cooking, if you like. Save the bones for stock; remember to include the neck and giblet and heart.
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velops
I get too nervous using a knife cut out the backbone so I prefer to use a sturdy pair of sharp kitchen shears.
Mzungu
Couldn't have said it any better....
It's the best way to grill or bar-b-q an entire bird.....
Shuku
I have to admit - I've never tried butterflying a chicken. Given there's always only been one of me to serve unless it was Thanksgiving, the only time I've ever bought an entire chicken would be when I make a gigantic pot of Brunswick stew to last for about a week and a half. However, this looks simple enough - and I am going to make it my Close of 2010 resolution to at least TRY it. Thank you for the tutorial! It makes it seem as if even a knife-scared amateur like myself could do it successfully.
Andrea Nguyen
You all can do it! I've butterflied game hens and quail. Maybe start small and go up to a chicken?
Actually the most important thing is to literally imagine your sharpened knife cutting through the bone and then go for it with confidence and grace.
ThaiCurious
Thanks for the inspiration Andrea, I just made my first-ever butterflied turkey on the grill after reading your articles and it was roundly hailed as the best turkey ever. I butterflied it myself and it was not difficult at all. Just takes a steady hand and a sharp cleaver. I encourage everyone to give it a try!
Andrea Nguyen
ThaiCurious: All I have to say is WOW. Thanks so much. You made my day.
riceandwheat
I'm planning to attempt to butterfly a chicken this week to make brick chicken and have been doing some research online - thanks for this tutorial on how to do the butterflying, Andrea! In case it's useful, I also found a great video on how to do it with kitchen shears: http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/07/16/how-to-butterfly-a-chicken/
Andrea Nguyen
Riceandwheat: Thanks for the tip and link on using kitchen shears. Good kitchen shears are one of the most useful tools to have around.
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Good to see you had fun - and managed to photograph some tricky mittens!
Mario
Thanks so much for this post on butterflied chicken. I can imagine that marinated and placed on a grill.
marlon
Thanks for the inspiration Andrea, I just made my first-ever butterflied turkey on the grill after reading your articles and it was roundly hailed as the best turkey ever.