Chicken recipes Using a whole chicken- jointing

Date Published:

08/01/2008

People are concerned by the cost of an organic free-range chicken. By planning ahead, Hannah Williams gets three meals out of a single chicken

I have bought organic chickens in the past but always to roast for a group of people for a one-off get-together or a special occasion. Normally when I’m cooking for two I just pick up whichever separate joints I want, which if you’re intent on going organic can become a little pricey.

I picked up the whole chicken from Sainsbury’s for just under £8 and while the choice of organic birds on offer wasn’t overwhelming there were a few to choose from. I opted for one from the ‘Taste the Difference’ range as it included a brief description of the farm of origin.

Few people relish the idea of returning home after a hard day at work to butcher a chicken but the prospect wasn’t actually too daunting. All in all it took me about 15 minutes to joint the bird into two separate breasts (off the bone) two legs (on the bone but skinned) and two wings (on the bone with skin intact). The breasts and legs easily yielded the best meat but the wings were still ample and if anything the brown meat on the limbs had the most flavour. Taking into account the additional ingredients I spent about £24 which spread over the three days means only £8 a day for two people to eat really well and is loads cheaper than if I’d bought the joints separately.

Conscious of the ever-increasing amount of waste discarded at this time of year I think that is definitely worth it even if it does mean getting your hands dirty on the jointing front.

Don't know how to joint a chicken? It's easy with this: simple chicken jointing guide

Using the chicken breasts

Chicken stuffed with Camembert wrapped in Parma ham with roasted vegetables

Using the wings

Moroccan-style chicken wings

Using the leg meat

Thai chicken curry

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