Home › The Principles of Cookery › Poultry, Boning Of

Poultry, Boning Of

It is scarcely likely that written instructions only will enable one to perform this difficult operation; and far more would be learnt by watching a competent person do the work once than by reading whole pages about it. Nevertheless, the knowledge how to bone meat and poultry is a very desirable kind of knowledge to attain, and one which can only be perfected by practice. The thing to aim at is to loosen the flesh without injuring the skin, and this can be done only by working the knife close to the bone. A short, sharp-pointed knife is the most suitable for the purpose. It is easiest to divide the bird into joints, and remove the bone from each joint separately. If this will not do, the bird may be split open right down the back, and the bones cut out afterwards, and this plan answers excellently for galantines and dishes of a similar description. The most difficult operation of all is to bone the bird without opening it. Poulterers and butchers are generally very pleased when desired to do this work for their customers.