Deboning de-chicken

I wish to know how to debone chicken. – STEPHANIE CHUA

Antipolo Trading & Supply

When certain recipes call for skinning and boning the meat of a whole chicken, we can turn to typical instruments, like a flexible, tapered boning knife, for deboning the breast and ribs, and a short, paring knife, used primarily for the thighs, as well as a pair of poultry scissors or plain kitchen shears.

We featured a chicken deboning procedure in our column last year with the Philippine STAR archived issue date of Oct. 11, 2000.

Here’s a more detailed technique of the process:

Cut up a whole chicken into parts, like the breasts, ribs, legs and thighs. Stripping away the skin on chicken parts is easily accomplished by taking the skin firmly and pulling it away from the meat, with the occasional use of a kitchen knife, which can snip away at some tough connective tissue or tendons.

On the legs, slit the skin lengthwise from the joint to the foot end on the shorter side of the drumstick. Hold the meaty end of the drumstick and pull the skin toward the foot end, cutting the skin if pulling doesn’t work.

For deboning the chicken breast, use a boning knife and start by pressing at the sides of the ribs (of the breast) and cut away the meat as close to the bone as possible. Pull back any tendons away from the meat and gently scrape whatever is attached to the meat until the tissue is completely severed. Discard all ligaments.

For the thighs, use a paring knife to cut lengthwise around the small bone, which you should hold up with your fingers.

* * * Oysters On A Bed Of Salt

Whenever we order baked oysters at a restaurant, I notice that they are always served on a bed of rock salt. Why is this so? Can you provide me with a recipe for Oysters Rockefeller or any other baked oyster recipe that has cheese? – MARK D. WILSON

The bed of rock salt (or ice!) on which the oyster shells are laid provides both aesthetic and practical use. Aside from keeping the embedded shells balanced on the serving platter, they also help create the sense and fresh smell of the ocean. When the shells are harvested, they are typically buried in barrels of sea salt to maintain their freshness.

Once you’ve steamed your oysters open (remember to discard any that remain closed after proper steaming!), pack down each oyster half with a cheese pesto (eliminate the pine nuts and basil leaves if you don’t like pesto!) filling.

Here’s how to make that cheese filling: Peel and mince four garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of pine nuts, a teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, four cups of fresh basil leaves, 1/2 cup of Romano or Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Add more olive oil to smoothen and liquefy the mixture if you find it too thick. Once youve spooned the cheese mixture over the oysters, place them under the broiler to cook. Enjoy them hot!

* * * Who’s Got Better Milk?

I would just like to ask if you know of any milk brand that tastes as good as the milk coming from the United States? I remember when I was able to drink cartoned milk in Subic when there was still an American commissary there and it tasted very different from our local milk, from Magnolia or Bear Brand which are too rich and nakakasawa. My brother, who grew up in the States, says their milk really tastes like that and that’s why he drinks it by the carton or bottle. He mentioned something about it being treated or reconstituted or something. I’ve been trying other brands sold in duty-free stores in Subic and Clark, but they don’t taste as great. Maybe you know of a store that sells them. – TINETTE FERMIN

Like you, I’ve never liked drinking our local commercial milk, and I grew up pouring down (the sink!) the powdered milk drinks that my Mom prepared for my brothers and I when we were kids. I reasoned lactose intolerance (yeah, sure!), and then when I tried the fresh cow’s milk in the US, I could actually stand it!

Although your brother may be right about milk back home not being reconstituted enough, I think it’s also the cow variety. Our milk seems to be more like skimmed milk, with less of the fortified, pasteurized whole milk quality you’re looking for.

Try Los Baños, Laguna’s carabao milk. It’s tastier and more like whole milk. As far as I can remember, this milk comes plain and in a melon flavor, which is also quite good.

* * * Exchanging Readers’ Recipes

I would just like you to know that I always enjoy reading your column with all the great recipes and cool home tips! More power to you! – JUDY ANN "DEWEY" HUANG

Thank you for sending us whollymolly e-letters! I find your site simple, uncomplicated and very helpful. I always look forward to finding your letters in my inbox. Keep it up and thanks once again. By the way, do you accept recipes, like in a recipe exchange? – MARIBEL NENGASCA

Thanks, dear readers! We appreciate and hope that you visit our site regularly to check out new and easy recipes, more cool home tips and helpful products.

Send us recipes anytime. We’ve always featured our readers’ recipes in our column, in both the printed and on-line versions of Philippine STAR, but we have yet to do this on our own whollymollytips website. We’ll get to it as soon as we can!

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Visit our website at http://www.whollymollytips.com. Click on "Library" for easy recipes and cool products. Click on "Ask Molly" for all queries.