How to Carve a Chicken

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How to Make Breaded Chicken

How to Make Chicken Cutlets

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Carving Forks

The choice of carving fork is as important as the sharpness of the knife. Forks come in two styles. One is shaped like a tuning fork with two long, straight prongs and a short stem. This type of fork is good for prodding and jabbing things, but not for carving. You need the shape that has a long stem leading to short, curved prongs. When held in reverse-the curved edge downward-these prongs will secure the meat completely without damaging it. Once the meat is held like this, you will have complete control over the carving and slicing.

How to Carve a Chicken

All poultry with white flesh-that is, chicken or turkey-is carved in the same way. Ducks, with their denser texture and elongated breasts, are slightly. The point of carving is simple-to render the meat easy to eat. Next, and secondary to this, you want it to look as presentable as possible.Thirdly, you want the least waste, with very little meat left on the bone or carcass. The traditional shape of a carving knife is long and slim, tapering to a point at the top of the blade.This is fine, but not crucial. Sharpness is the essential quality, and while a serrated knife or chopper will not do,a finely honed cook’s knife will stand in very well.This is because there are two aspects to carving poultry,one of which is better tackled by the traditional carving knife.This is the slicing of the breast into thin strips, especially on large birds such as turkey.The other aspect of poultry carving is the division of the bird into pieces or parts-thigh and drumstick, for example-and this is better done with the power given by the shape of a cook’s knife than with the finesse of the carving knife. You can use both or either.The choice of fork, too, is important. How you use it is a matter of choice.

Step 1
Once the cooked bird has rested and any juices from it have been collected and added to the sauce or gravy, place the bird on its back on a clean carving board. Hold the bird with a carving fork, then use a carving knife to cut the skin between the leg and the breast. Next, draw the knife down and cut close to the breast.

Step 2
Lift the leg backward to release the bone from the body and enable the cooked meat in crevices on the backbone to be taken off in one slice. Repeat the process for the other leg.

Step 3
Hold the bird steady with the carving fork.Keeping the carving knife as close to the
breastbone as possible, slice downward and lengthwise along one side of the bone to release the breast. Repeat on the other side.

Step 4
You now have two legs and two breast halves. In order to serve equal portions of both white and dark meat, you divide these in half. Carve the breast halves at a slight diagonal into equal and elegant pieces.

Step 5
Slice each leg through the joint to separate the thigh and drumstick. Place all the carved meat with the stuffing on a platter and serve with the gravy.

Chicken Presentation

The thicker the slices, the longer they will retain their heat. Thin slices draped into a fan will need to be served immediately, if that is your aesthetic preference.It is a question of personal taste, but I would leave a little meat on the wing when carving chicken, to make a more substantial portion.

Carving Tips for Chicken

Letting the bird rest after roasting results in firmer, juicier meat that is easier to carve. Poultry should stand at least ten minutes before carving so the simmering juices can relax back into the meat. When carving, use a sharp thin-bladed knife that is long enough to slice off the breast of large birds like turkey or long-bodied birds such as duck or goose.

Another Way

Start by removing the thigh/leg quarters. Pull one whole quarter back from the body until you hear the joint pop, then insert the tip of your knife into the now-loosened joint and slice down. Do the same with the smaller joint between each thigh and leg.
Place the body breast side up on a large cutting board. Insert a large knife into the main cavity, position the blade to one side of the spine, and slice down through the ribs. Repeat on the other side of the spine before removing it.

Alternatively, pull the wings back until the joint pops, insert the knife at an angle into this joint’s center, and slice off the wing without taking off too much breast meat. Follow the contour of the breastbone and slice down to remove the breast meat on each side as a fillet. Lay these skin side up on your carving board and cut into slices against the grain (that is, the short way, or at a diagonal the short way for slightly longer slices). Now turn the chicken breast side down and cut straight down through the breastbone and its cartilage, dividing the breast in half. This takes work, especially in larger birds. Cut the breast/wing sections into three pieces the short way, leaving the wing attached to one as its serving piece.