As with a whole chicken, the job is easier if you remove
the wishbone before roasting the bird; see here.
STEP 1: REMOVE THE LEGS Pull on one of the
drumsticks, using the side of your chef’s knife to hold the
rest of the chicken in place and slowly working the tip of
the knife into the joint. The leg should come away almost
on its own, requiring very little actual knife work. Repeat
on the second side.
STEP 2: SPLIT THE LEGS Split the legs in half at the
joint between the thigh and the drumstick if desired.
STEP 3: REMOVE THE WINGS With the breast nicely
flattened and no cumbersome backbone to get in the way,
removing the wings can be done without flipping the
chicken over. Find the joint, work your knife into it by
twisting the blade back and forth, and cut through it.
Repeat on the other side.
STEP 4: SLICE DOWN THE BREASTBONE Using the
tip of your knife, follow the curve of the breastbone,
releasing one breast half from the carcass, pulling it
outward as you go and trying to remove as much meat as