STEVE BAIN has a simple little home butchery trick for us this month.
As you can see in the photos, a spoon can be used to ‘skin’ a chicken.
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The chicken skin comes off easily, so a knife isn't needed and the spoon is less likely to muck up (that's a technical term!) the cut of meat.
Step 1: Just to recap, we start with a whole chicken — feathers off and eviscerated (okay, that really is a technical term).
Step 2
Step 2: Using an east-east knife (or any knife that works for you — a kitchen-knife style is also a good choice), we've cut the Maryland away from the chicken frame.
Step 3
Step 3: A close-up of the end of the leg bone (aka thigh bone) in the joint between Maryland and the ribs/frame.
Step 4
Step 4: The Maryland cut of chicken.
Step 5
Step 5: Now to separate the drumstick and the thigh cutlet; cut down into the joint between the drumstick bone and the large thigh bone.
Step 6
Step 6: Next run the tip of your knife either side of, as well as around the thigh bone, and cut the thigh bone away from the thigh meat.
Step 7
Step 7: The thigh bone removed.
Step 8
Step 8: Once the thigh has been boned out; flip the thigh meat over to have the skin on top and then slide/push the end of a teaspoon (either end of the spoon works fine) under the chicken skin.
Step 9
Step 9: Keep pushing the spoon under the skin until it is exposed out through the far side.
Step 10
Step 10: Then wiggle the spoon under the skin as you push the spoon out to another side.
Step 11
Step 11: Now fold the flap of skin back and keep wiggling the spoon side-to-side as you lift the skin up and away from the bird.
Step 12
Step 12: The boned and skinned thigh cutlet ready for Lynn’s saltimbocca recipe. Handy hint: The skin can be used in your winter chicken soup.
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