Chicken Recipes

Appetizers & Soups Recipes  |  Midweek Meal Recipes  |  One Pot Meal Recipes Salads & Barbecues  |  Pastries & Pies Recipes  |  Hot & Spicy Recipes

Choosing a Chicken  |  Chicken Parts  |  Trussing Chicken  |  Roasting Chicken  |  Cutting Up Chicken
Boning a Chicken  |  Butterflying Chicken  |  Making Chicken Stock  |  Making Chicken Sautes
Poaching, Casseroling & Braising Chicken  |  Chicken Stuffings

Butterflying Chicken

Whole chickens, Rock Cornish hens, guinea fowl and game birds can be split in half and opened flat like a book to resemble the wings of a butterfly. They will then cook evenly under the broiler or on a grill. A heavy knife can be used to split the bird, but sturdy kitchen scissors or poultry shears are easier to handle.

1. Set the bird breast down. Cut through the skin and rib cage along one side of the backbone, working from the tail end to the neck. Repeat on the other side of the backbone to cut it free. Keep the backbone for stock, if desired.

2. Turn the bird breast up. With the heel of your hand, press firmly on the breastbone to break it and flatten the breast.

3. Fold the wing tips back behind the shoulders. Thread a long metal skewer through one wing and the top of the breast and out through the other wing.

4. Thread a second skewer through the thighs and bottom of the breast. These skewers will keep the bird flat during cooking and will make it easy to turn over.

TESTING POULTRY
Overcooked poultry is dry, tough and tasteless, so knowing when a bird is done is crucial. The most reliable test for a whole bird is to insert a meat thermometer deep into the thigh meat (the internal temperature should be 175°F).Without a thermometer, you can test by piercing the thigh with a skewer or the tip of a knife; the juices that run out should be clear, not pink. Or, lift the bird with a long two-pronged fork and tilt it so you can check the color of the juices that run out of the cavity into the roasting pan. Pieces of poultry, particularly breasts, can be tested by pressing them with a finger; the meat should be firm but still slightly springy.

BROILING TIMES FOR POULTRY Note: Cook 4-6 inches from the heat; thinner pieces, less than 1 inch nearer the heat. lithe poultry seems to be browning too quickly, turn down the heat slightly.
ROCK CORNISH HEN, BUTTERFLIED	20-25 minutes
CHICKEN, BROILER OR FRYER, SPLIT IN HALF OR BUTTERFLIED	25-30 minutes
ROASTING CHICKEN, SPLIT IN HALF OR BUTTERELIED	30-40 minutes
CHICKEN BREAST, DRUMSTICK, THIGH	30-35 minutes
SKINLESS BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST	10-12 minutes
BONELESS DUCK BREAST	10-12 minutes