Spatchcocking and Jointing
Cooking Skills: Chicken 2
Chapter 1 · Spatchcocking and Jointing
Skill goal
Break a whole chicken into the cuts that suit each cooking method, and cook each cut at its own pace.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Buying a whole chicken is cheaper than buying pieces, and learning to break it down means you can cook each part at the right time: breast cooks fast, legs take longer. Spatchcocking (removing the backbone and flattening the bird) cuts roasting time to about 40 minutes and gives crisper skin all over. Jointing into eight (two drumsticks, two thighs, two breasts, two wings) gives even portions. Boning a thigh opens it flat for quick cooking, and a supreme is a breast with the first wing bone attached.
Use a sharp, flexible knife and poultry shears, and work on a steady board. Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1, chapter 7 shows the basic cutting of chicken; here you go further and apply it to cooking. Safety first: chicken must reach 75°C in the thickest part (see Cooking Skills: Chicken 1, chapter 1), and every piece, board and tool that touched raw chicken is washed in hot soapy water. Keep the backbone and wing tips for stock (Cooking Skills: Soups and Stocks 1, chapter 1).
The method
- Wash your hands and use a clean board; keep raw chicken separate from everything else.
- Cut out the backbone with shears along both sides of the spine, then open the bird flat.
- Flip the bird and press down firmly on the breastbone until it cracks and the bird lies flat.
- Joint into eight: cut between thigh and drumstick, then remove the breasts and wings.
- Cook breast and leg pieces separately, since breast needs less time than leg.
| Cut | Method | Time at 200°C (approximate) | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spatchcocked whole bird | Roast at 220°C | 40 to 45 minutes | 75°C in thigh |
| Thigh, bone-in | Roast or pan-roast | 35 to 40 minutes | 75°C, juices clear |
| Breast / supreme | Pan then oven | 12 to 15 minutes in oven | 75°C, no pink |
| Boned thigh | Pan-fry or grill | 12 to 15 minutes | 75°C, golden |
Raw chicken, sharp tools, hot oven and allergens
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Poultry shears and sharp knives: poultry shears and boning knives are very sharp and chicken skin is slippery. Work on a board steadied with a damp cloth, cut away from your hands, keep fingers clear of the blade and the cut edges of bone, and never try to catch a falling knife. Wash shears and board in hot soapy water straight afterwards.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away.
Is it cooked? Use a thermometer: chicken is safe when the thickest part reaches 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes), the meat is white all the way through with no pink, and the juices run clear (general guidance, in line with current FSA advice). Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone, and for a whole bird check the thickest part of the thigh. If in doubt, cook it longer.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
A spatchcocked roast chicken
The fastest and crispiest way to roast a whole chicken. Cut out the backbone with shears, press the bird flat, rub with butter and salt, and roast hot. Every part of the skin is exposed to the heat, and the bird cooks in about 40 minutes. Keep the backbone for stock.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1.6 kg whole chicken
- 40 g soft butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp chopped thyme
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tsp flaked sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan, gas 7). Place the chicken breast-side down and cut along both sides of the backbone with shears; remove it. Turn the bird over and press hard on the breastbone to flatten it.
- Mash the butter with the garlic, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Loosen the skin and rub the butter underneath and over the skin. Lay the bird on a lined tray.
- Roast for 40 to 45 minutes until golden, the thigh reads 75°C and the juices run clear. Rest for 15 minutes, drizzle with lemon juice and carve.
Raw chicken, shears and hot oven
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Poultry shears and sharp knives: poultry shears and boning knives are very sharp and chicken skin is slippery. Work on a board steadied with a damp cloth, cut away from your hands, keep fingers clear of the blade and the cut edges of bone, and never try to catch a falling knife. Wash shears and board in hot soapy water straight afterwards.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away.
Is it cooked? Use a thermometer: chicken is safe when the thickest part reaches 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes), the meat is white all the way through with no pink, and the juices run clear (general guidance, in line with current FSA advice). Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone, and for a whole bird check the thickest part of the thigh. If in doubt, cook it longer.
Level 2 · Joint
A chicken jointed into eight and roasted
Cut the chicken into eight pieces: two drumsticks, two thighs, two breasts and two wings. Roast legs first and add the breasts later, so everything finishes together. Use the carcass for stock. This is the way to feed a crowd with neat portions.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1.6 kg whole chicken
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, in wedges
- 4 garlic cloves, left in their skins
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp flaked sea salt
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Remove the legs by cutting the skin between thigh and body, bending the legs back until the joint pops, and cutting through. Split each into thigh and drumstick. Cut each breast off the bone with its wing, and halve if large.
- Toss the pieces with the oil, paprika and salt. Roast thighs and drumsticks skin-side up for 20 minutes, then add the breasts and wings, lemon, garlic and thyme.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes more until every piece reaches 75°C. Rest for 5 minutes.
Raw chicken, sharp knives and hot oven
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Poultry shears and sharp knives: poultry shears and boning knives are very sharp and chicken skin is slippery. Work on a board steadied with a damp cloth, cut away from your hands, keep fingers clear of the blade and the cut edges of bone, and never try to catch a falling knife. Wash shears and board in hot soapy water straight afterwards.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away.
Is it cooked? Use a thermometer: chicken is safe when the thickest part reaches 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes), the meat is white all the way through with no pink, and the juices run clear (general guidance, in line with current FSA advice). Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone, and for a whole bird check the thickest part of the thigh. If in doubt, cook it longer.
Level 2 · Bone
Boning a chicken thigh
A boned thigh opens flat and cooks in about 12 minutes. Slit along the bone, cut round it with the tip of a small knife, and lift it out. The meat is easier to marinate and to stuff. Fry skin-side down with herbs and mustard.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 8 skin-on chicken thighs, boned (or buy bone-in and bone them yourself)
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 lemon, juice
- Lay a thigh skin-side down. Cut along the bone from end to end, scrape the meat away from the bone with the tip of the knife, and cut round the joint. Lift out the bone. Mix the mustard, garlic and parsley and rub over the meat.
- Fry skin-side down in the hot oil over a medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes without moving until crisp, then turn for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Check 75°C, squeeze over the lemon and rest for 5 minutes.
Raw chicken, sharp knives and hot pan
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Poultry shears and sharp knives: poultry shears and boning knives are very sharp and chicken skin is slippery. Work on a board steadied with a damp cloth, cut away from your hands, keep fingers clear of the blade and the cut edges of bone, and never try to catch a falling knife. Wash shears and board in hot soapy water straight afterwards.
Hot pan and hot oil: roasting tins and frying pans for browning are very hot and fat spits. Use dry oven gloves, pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away.
Is it cooked? Use a thermometer: chicken is safe when the thickest part reaches 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes), the meat is white all the way through with no pink, and the juices run clear (general guidance, in line with current FSA advice). Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone, and for a whole bird check the thickest part of the thigh. If in doubt, cook it longer.
Level 3 · Restaurant
A pan-roasted chicken supreme
A supreme is a breast with the first wing bone left attached, and the skin on. Sear it skin-side down until deep golden, flip, and finish in the oven so the meat stays moist. Make a pan sauce with stock and lemon (see Cooking Skills: Chicken 1, chapter 3).
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 chicken supremes (breast with wing bone, skin on)
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 20 g butter
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 150 ml chicken stock, unsalted
- 1 lemon, juice
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Season the supremes with salt and pepper. Sear skin-side down in an ovenproof pan with the oil for 6 to 7 minutes until deep golden. Turn, add the butter and thyme.
- Put the pan in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the thickest part reads 75°C. Lift the chicken onto a plate and rest it.
- Put the pan on the hob (the handle is hot), add the stock and lemon, boil for 3 minutes, and spoon over the chicken.
Raw chicken, hot pan handle and temperature
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Chicken with the bone in and the pan hot: a chicken supreme has the wing bone left on and thick skin, so the pan is hot and the oven finishes it. Use an ovenproof pan, oven gloves for the handle (it gets very hot), and rest it on a heatproof surface.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away.
Is it cooked? Use a thermometer: chicken is safe when the thickest part reaches 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes), the meat is white all the way through with no pink, and the juices run clear (general guidance, in line with current FSA advice). Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone, and for a whole bird check the thickest part of the thigh. If in doubt, cook it longer.
Experiments
Experiment
Spatchcocked or whole
Time and crispness.
- Roast a whole chicken and a spatchcocked one at the same oven temperature.
Look for: The spatchcocked bird is done in about 40 minutes with crisp skin all over; the whole bird takes 1 hour 20 minutes and the underside is paler.
Experiment
Joints cooked together or in stages
Evenness.
- Roast all eight pieces together and another batch with the legs started first.
Look for: Together, the breasts are dry by the time the legs are done; staged, everything is juicy at the same time.
Experiment
Boned or bone-in thigh
Speed and juiciness.
- Pan-fry a boned and a bone-in thigh.
Look for: The boned thigh cooks in 12 minutes and is easy to slice; the bone-in thigh is juicier but takes 35 minutes.
Experiment
Skin on or off a supreme
Moisture.
- Cook a supreme with the skin on and another with it removed.
Look for: The skin-on breast is juicier and crisp; the skinless one is paler and drier.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spatchcocked roast chicken | ||||
| Chicken jointed into eight | ||||
| Boning a thigh | ||||
| Pan-roasted chicken supreme | ||||
| Spatchcocked or whole | ||||
| Joints cooked together or in stages | ||||
| Boned or bone-in thigh | ||||
| Skin on or off a supreme |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Hard to cut out the backbone | Dull shears | Use sharp poultry shears and cut close to the spine |
| Spatchcocked chicken won't stay flat | Breastbone not cracked | Press down firmly until it flattens |
| Breast dry, leg raw | Cooked together | Cook legs first and add the breasts later |
| Jagged joints | Cutting through bone | Find the joint, bend back and cut through the gap |
| Skin stuck to the pan | Pan not hot or moved too early | Leave it until it releases |
| Burnt wing tips | Oven too hot for the wings | Tuck the tips under or add them later |
Raw chicken, sharp tools and leftovers
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Poultry shears and sharp knives: poultry shears and boning knives are very sharp and chicken skin is slippery. Work on a board steadied with a damp cloth, cut away from your hands, keep fingers clear of the blade and the cut edges of bone, and never try to catch a falling knife. Wash shears and board in hot soapy water straight afterwards.
Leftover chicken: cool cooked chicken quickly (within about 1 to 2 hours), cover and refrigerate, and eat within 2 days. Reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through. Never leave chicken on the table for more than 2 hours. Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to about 3 months.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can spatchcock a chicken.
- I can joint a chicken into eight.
- I can bone a thigh.
- I cook breast and leg at different times.
- I keep the bones for stock.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Chicken 2, chapter 2 is Fried Chicken: coating, frying and keeping the oil at the right temperature.