Practically Perfect Portioned Chicken

Have you ever rushed to the grocery store in a hurry to get a dinner on the table when you've got no time to cook? You want to keep the meal fresh and healthy, but the microwave seems the only viable option because you just don't know how to use a rotisserie chicken. Do you ever buy it, but feel like it makes a mess coming apart? I'm about to save your dinner portioning. No more fear in using this quick meal option!

Portioning a chicken is relatively simple, though there are multiple ways of doing it. I am going to walk you through the most common method. It'll only take you 5 minutes the first time. You probably know the parts: Wing, Breast, Thigh, and Leg (Drum). The main trick is identifying the joints. Keep in mind that portioning a Rotisserie Chicken is easier because the cooked meat is more tender. If you want practice before cooking a whole chicken yourself, I recommend using a Rotisserie. All you need is a chef's knife and a whole rotisserie chicken. Cut locations are indicated with red lines.

Leg Quarter:

With the breasts up, find where the thigh meets the body (hip area). Use your fingers to find the joint. It will be underneath and feel very hard and knobly. You might even push the joint down the leg a little to ensure you are feeling the correct place. Insert your knife in the middle of the joint, pushing/cutting through the meat and skin as you go. You can slice the skin first if its easier. Separate the leg and put it aside. Repeat with the other leg quarter.

wing:

There are actually three parts to the wing. Drumlette, Winglette and Tip. Turn the chicken over so you are looking at the back. If you take the Tip and Drumlette in your hand and extend the wing, you can see the three segments of bone and three joints. The joint closest to the body is where you will be cutting. Give the wing a few light twists to find the joint as you did with the leg quarter. Run your knife around the joint to slice the skin, then push the knife through the joint. You can twist the whole wing once the skin is cut, and the joint will break away. Repeat with the other wing. Set this aside as well.

Breast:

Some say this is the easiest part. Find the Indent between the two pieces of meat. This is where the breast bone is, and you can feel a hard ridge down the middle. Run your knife superficially down the length of the chicken on either side of this breast bone. After you've cut through the skin, use the length of the knife blade to cut downward until you feel the resistance of the chicken bone. Turn the sharp side of the blade outward to continue cutting the breast away from the bone. Repeat on the other side. Ideally, you stay under the breast to separate as much meat from bone as possible.

Separating the Leg Quarters and Wings:

The leg quarter should have a thigh and a drum connected by a knee joint. Just as you did with the other joints, use your fingers to find the connection between the drum bone and the thigh bone. Run your knife around the joint to slice the skin, then push your knife through the joint. If you're having difficulty finding the joint, you can push it upward to separate the bones. Then push your knife through the dip created.

** Note: If you turn the quarter skin-side down, you may be able to see the joint more clearly.

As described before, the wing has 3 parts. Most people don't bother with the tip, but it does have a nice crispy taste if you decide to use it. Run your knife around each joint to cut the skin, then push the knife between the bones. If you have trouble finding the ends of the bones, use your fingers to feel them, or even separate them by pushing the joint upward.

Enjoy your delicious Rotisserie Chicken! Check out next week for a recipe to use the bones and leftover meat in a tasty instapot meal.