Cutting Cookoff Chicken

[mo uglee]

I will be cooking at a cook off that requires that you cook half of a chicken. It is also requiring that this half of the chicken be cut into seven pieces. What's the best way to get the seven pieces? I am a little confused.

 

[bad santa]

Howdy Mo, I have cooked where they wanted the 1/2 chicken cut into 7 pieces also, a bit strange, but not unheard of. What I did was after the chicken is cooked, I removed the leg quarter and separated the leg and thigh apart. Then removed the whole wing, removing the tip and leaving the flapper and drummette together. Then cut the breast into 4ths on a diagonal or biased angle. This will give you 7 pieces that can be eaten and judged, the only problem is that the breast meat will start to dry out once it's cut. I would cook 2 halves in case a 2nd one is needed cause the first cuts didn't turn out as you would have liked them to....Good Luck with your cook.

Now if the rules don't state that all pieces have to come from the same half, then cook two halves and separate them into legs, thighs, and wings with the breasts intact.

 

[mo uglee]

That sounds about as good as it's gonna get. And the 7 pieces DO have to be from same half. Great advice. Last time I had to turn in cut breast, I sandwiched the breast between soft cooked bacon to keep it moist and removed it right before I turned it in. Worked we'll. 2nd out of 62. Thanks a lot for the advice. Mo

 

[bigwheel]

Great info Santa. That 7 parted chicken half sounds like some of the Hill Country shenanagins where the spare ribs have to be cut into bite sized niblets. Dang nutty Bohemians.lol.