How To Cut Up A Whole Chicken - Getting Off The Grid

I am thinking about raising chickens, making this homestead a farming homestead and not just vegetables, nuts and fruits. If I get chickens I will have the eggs, the chickens for extra food and the poop for fertilizer.

After I overheard a conversation that a couple of young ladies at the grocery store were having about buying a whole chicken, one said " cook it whole" and the other one said " I wish I knew how to cut it up, its so cheap but I don`t so I will buy this pack that is already cut " I decided to share how to cut up a whole chicken. Its not hard at all and will save you money because you can make many meals with one chicken.The knowledge of cutting up a whole chicken will come in handy if you raise your own food.

After the two moved along I walked up and bought one of those chickens and they were very cheap! at .85 per pound, since I do not have chickens, yet.

After removing the packaging and rinsing the whole chicken in cold water and removing the gizzard, heart and neck bone I began to cut it in sections. with a very sharp knife, I do have a favorite for this job.

First I lay the chicken breast side up and I cut the skin holding the thighs into place, I bend the thigh back until I hear the joint pop and break, I make my cut there and the thigh comes off easy. Then I feel for the joint that holds the drumstick to the thigh and I make my cut there and pop that apart and cut it the rest of the way.

I do the same to each wing as the thigh.

Now you have the breast and the back bone.

Carefully run the sharp knife in between the back and breast on each side, cutting the small bones.

To remove the breast from the bone feel for the bone in the middle and began cutting there, staying close as possible, let the knife guide you down beside the bone and then underneath and out at the bottom while holding the breast with the other hand.

Now, I have a cut up chicken and four or more meals. I freeze each meal size portion of chicken in a separate zip lock freezer bag.

How Do I make dinners from this?

I do not throw anything away, everything, even the bones will be used.

Meal One : One breast is made into chicken nuggets but cutting the breast in long strips and then into cubes or "nuggets." I mix up flour and my spices, I wet the nuggets and drag them into the flour mixture and drop into hot grease and fry till light brown, drain on a paper towel. I pair this with a baked potato and sweet peas.

Meal two : I do the other breast as I did for the nuggets but I refrigerate overnight and I make a huge vegetable filled salad for dinner, I chop the cold fried nuggets into smaller pieces. I will toss the chicken into sweet and sour sauce and dress the salad with ginger sesame dressing , b-b-q sauce needs no other sauce or Texas Pete`s hot sauce and dress the salad with ranch dressing, I have salad with chicken.

Meal three - B-B-Q chicken thighs and drumsticks- Grill time! Toss them on the grill and cook till done, using your favorite b-b-q sauce. Serve with grilled corn and baked beans.

Meal four : Remember I said " throw nothing away?" You can freeze the bones and skins to do this at a later day. Boil the back bone of the chicken and the breast bone that still has a small amount of chicken attached and skin for a couple of hours in water. Remove the chicken from the broth and allow to cool, remove the chicken from the bones. I got 2 cups of chicken and four cups of broth. Put this in the refrigerator over night. Remove the yellow fat from the top of the cold broth ( note: you can save an use this fat for frying) Chop one onion, a couple ribs of celery, carrots and a few potatoes cook in the chicken broth, add garlic and parsley. Salt to your taste. Add a cup of cooked pasta and you have chicken noodle soup!

BUT do not forget you have all those soft chicken bones and skins, the dogs get a treat! Since the bones are so soft they are safe for the dogs.

Now that is how to cut and use a whole chicken.

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry