How to Bone out a Whole Chicken

This is one of those techniques that is good to have in your repertoire. Sounds a lot more difficult than it really is. A little three pound boned out stuffed chicken will feed at least 6 people. Perfect for a dinner party.

Years ago I put together a "Pictorial" showing each step. I thought I would share it here. Please forgive the quality of the pictures. They were taken with my very first digital camera - a Sony Mavica (1 megapixel) that used floppy discs to record.

Small 2.5 to 3 pound chicken

Lay chicken breast side down on cutting board

Start by cutting off the wing tips and the end of each leg

Make a cut down the back of the chicken

Using a boning knife start to scrape away the meat from the rib cage. Being careful to not cut the skin

Finish one side and then turn chicken around and do the same on the other side

Continuing to remove meat from rib cage

Remove Rib Cage. Again, be careful to not cut the skin. Reserve bones.

Lay chicken flat

Scrape meat down and away from wing bone

Do the same thing for each leg

Spread the wing and leg meat out evenly over the skin

Spread stuffing over surface

Using unwaxed, flavourless dental floss, sew up the back of chicken.

Keep Sewing

Finish sewing

Turn chicken breast side up

Using butcher string or silicone loops tie chicken to hold shape.

Put reserved bones into bottom of roasting pan. Place chicken on bones. The bones act as a rack for the chicken.
Roast the chicken.

Remove chicken from pan. Remove loops or cut string. Pull out the dental floss. It should slide out easily.

Carve into 1/2 inch slices

Make gravy using the pan drippings.

See I told you it was easy.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chicken - Deboned Stuffed Chicken
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Source: Pat Davis Cooking School, Grand Rapids, Michigan
1979

Note: A Boned out Three pound chicken will feed 6 nicely.


1 3 pound chicken
or 4 Whole Chicken Breasts (not
singles

3 cups Fresh Bread - Crumbled
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 pound of Sausage (I usually use one Italian Sausage)
1/4 pound of mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried thyme or
2 teaspoons of fresh
1 egg
Butter
Chicken Broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

1/2 cup White Wine
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 onion
2 small tomatoes
1 garlic clove

Bone out whole chicken or if using just the breasts bone the breasts but leave them whole. DO NOT REMOVE SKIN Save bones.

Saute onion, and garlic in butter. Add sausage, (if using link take meat out of casing), add sliced mushrooms and saute. Season with thyme,salt and pepper and mix in coarsely crumbled bread. Add chicken broth to moisten. Add egg.

Stuff chicken,(or breasts) and sew up with unwaxed dental floss.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place bones in shallow roasting pan and place chicken on bones. Roast for 30 minutes and then add one coarsely chopped onion, and two coarsely chopped tomatoes,and the garlic clove to the pan. Pour in 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Chicken should sit above liquid resting on the bones. Continue roasting for another 30 to 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked. (note: Breasts take the less time)

When cooked remove chicken to board to rest and remove bones from pan. Skim excess fat from pan juices add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth and pour contents into blender. Puree to make sauce.

To serve,

Remove dental floss (comes out easy with one little pull). Slice breasts into nice rounds and place 3 or 4 slices on each plate. If using the whole chicken, also slice in to 1/2 inch slices and place
one to two on each plate. Drizzle with sauce.