Chicken is a year-round favourite for family meals, whether as a whole, roasted chicken or served as individual pieces.
I usually buy a few fresh chickens from my local Hutterite colony and cut them into pieces before I freeze them.
It may seem daunting if you have never broken down a chicken but it’s actually simple. You just need a bit of knowledge and a sharp knife.
Start by removing the wings. Place the bird on a large cutting board. Pull out one wing and cut the skin to separate it from the body. Slip the blade of the knife in the joint between the wing and the breast. Cut through the cartilage and remove the wing. Repeat with the second wing. Each wing can be further broken down by removing the tip and separating the drumette from the straight portion of the wing.
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Next, remove the legs. Place the bird front side up on the cutting board. Pull a leg away from the body and cut through the skin between the breast and the thighs. Repeat with the other leg. Then separate the legs and thighs from the breast by slicing through the backbone.
Separate the legs by removing the backbone that joins them. You can leave the leg and thigh in one piece or further separate them by cutting through the joint that connects them. Wiggle the knife around so that you are cutting the tendons and they will come apart easily.
Now remove the backbone from the breast with kitchen scissors by making small snips.
Then run the knife along the breastbone and slice down the side of the bone to remove the meat, leaving as little meat on the bone as possible. Repeat with the other side. Inside the breast is the tender. The tender has a sinew that should be removed. It will never tenderize.
To further process the breasts, remove the skin and slice each one horizontally to create two thinner pieces for each breast. These can be pounded to make a cutlet. It thaws quickly and cooks quickly. It’s one of my favourite cuts.
Save all the trimmings and bones for making chicken stock. And my last tip is to lay the pieces out on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze individually. Then the pieces can be stored in a freezer bag and used as needed.
Lemon chicken piccata
- 2 lemons, sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, cut into very thick slices or halved length-wise
- 2 tsp. sugar 10 mL
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved and pounded thin 500 g
- 1 tsp. salt 5 mL
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper 2 mL
- 1/2 c., plus 1 tbsp. flour, divided 125 mL plus 15 mL
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided 30 mL
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 2 mL
- 1/2 c. dry white wine or chicken stock 125 mL
- 1 c. low-sodium chicken stock 250 mL
- 3 tbsp. butter 45 mL
- 2 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed 30 mL
- 2 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped 30 mL
Toss lemon slices and garlic in sugar. Set aside.
Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally, place between two pieces of plastic, and pound to about 3/4 inches (two cm) thick. Season chicken pieces on both sides with salt and black pepper.
Place 1/2 cup (125 mL) flour in a shallow baking dish.
Heat the largest skillet you have over medium heat. Add one tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Working quickly, dredge each piece of chicken in flour, shake off the excess and place the chicken in the hot pan. If it won’t fit in a single layer, cook the chicken in batches. Cook on both sides until deep golden brown and cooked through, five to seven minutes total. Set chicken aside and return pan to heat.
Add one tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil to heated pan and then lemon slices and garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and lemons are starting to turn golden in spots, one to two minutes. Watch it closely and remove it from heat if the garlic starts to turn brown. Pour charred lemons and garlic back into the bowl they were marinating in and return pan to heat.
Add shallots and oregano to heated pan.
Cook until shallots are tender, about one minute. Add one tablespoon (15 mL) flour and stir until no dry spots of flour remain. Add white wine and stock to pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Increase heat to bring sauce to a simmer. Simmer until sauce reduces by half, about five minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter and capers until butter melts.
Return chicken pieces to pan and spoon sauce over top. Pour lemons and garlic over top and sprinkle with parsley. Serve over pasta or rice.
Rotisserie chicken salad
Don’t turn on the oven when you can buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This makes a good main course salad or sandwich filling.
- 2 c. rotisserie chicken chopped, skin and bones removed 500 mL
- 1/3 c. finely diced celery75 mL
- 1/3 c. finely diced red onion 75 mL
- 1/2 c. baby spinach finely chopped 125 mL
- 1/3 c. mayonnaise 75 mL
- 1/3 c. Greek yogurt or sour cream 75 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 mL
Combine all of the ingredients in a big bowl and stir until everything is well combined. Serve.
Smoky chicken drumettes and wings
- 1 lb. chicken wings, each cut into 2 pieces 500 g
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 c. barbecue sauce500 mL
Heat oven to 350 F (180 C).
Season chicken wings liberally with salt and pepper. Place them in a shallow baking dish and bake in the oven until tender. Remove from oven and toss with barbecue sauce. Return to the oven and continue to bake until well browned and the sauce is thick and sticky. Serve.
Smoky barbecue sauce
- 2 c. barbecue sauce 500 mL
- 1/4 c. chipotle peppers and adobo sauce 60 mL
- 1/4 c. honey 60 mL
Finely chop the chipotle peppers and combine with barbecue sauce, adobo sauce and honey until evenly mixed. It is ready to use.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
