It is difficult to bone a dressed fowl due to the way the cavity
opening and neck are cut. To start, if necessary singe any pin
feathers, cut off the feet and the first two joints of the wings. Cut
off the head so that the neck is as long as possible and tie off the
two tubes that come out of the craw to prevent leakage.
To avoid breaking the skin, keep the tip of the knife angled towards
the skeleton and close to the bone at all times. Begin by placing the
bird breast down on a cutting board. Make an incision the entire
length of the spine through both skin and flesh. Using a short, sharp
pointed knife follow the frame as closely as you can, pushing the
skin and flesh back as you go.
Work the skin of the neck down; chop the neck off short being careful
not to sever the craw tubes. Work towards the ball and socket joint
of the shoulders, cutting them free and boning the shoulder blades.
Pull the wing bones through from the inside bringing the skin with
them. Bone the meat from the wings and reserve it. Then cut to the
ball and socket joint of each leg and pull through the bones. Reserve
the meat. Continue to work the meat free from each side of the body
until the centre front of the breast bone is reached. You can now
remove the entire skeleton [and its contents] all out in one piece.
Any tears in the skin can be sewn up.
