Boning a Chicken

How to bone a chicken

Break the bones of the bird just above the feet by giving them a blow with a knife, cut the skin round and give the feet a twist, thus breaking them off and with them the strong sinews of the legs. Chop off the wings just above the second joint. Slit the skin of the neck and pull it out, cut it off close and trim the skin neatly. Make an incision along the back from the neck to the tail, then separate the flesh from the bones beginning at the neck end. When the wing bone is reached disjoint it from the carcass, make a slit along the inside of the wing and remove the bone, then disjoint the thigh bone from the carcass. Proceed the same with the other side. Work along each side, detaching the breast and being very careful not to break the skin, especially over the breast, where it is very tender; then remove the carcass; make an incision along the thigh, dissect the bone from the flesh, scrape the flesh of the leg along the bone and then pull it out in such a way as to draw out the remaining sinews with it.

If very old and tough the chicken may be made tender in the following manner. Cut it up into joints; put these into a deep pan with sufficient slightly salted water to cover; set the pan in the oven and let it remain until the bones can be easily pulled out. It will require three or four hours for this. As the water boils away more boiling water must be added so as to have the meat always covered. Now draw out all the bones, remove the skin and sinews, and the flesh will be quite tender and fit for using in stews, curries or such like dishes.