I usually buy a whole chicken a few times a month and am always looking for ways to cook it. I like to cut it into pieces and either oven, solar oven or pressure cooker. So what are you fave ways to cook bone in chicken pieces ?
My absolute favorite way to cook a whole chicken is to spatchcock it and make Zuni-style chicken and bread salad, which requires making some focaccia the day before. I’m just as likely, though, to completely debone it for some other application, like kara age. I rarely break down a whole chicken into pieces these days - I’m much more likely to purchase a package of thighs, leg quarters, or wings.
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I’m in France and whole chicken is the best way to buy direct from Farmers. I’m absolutely not capable of deboning ! I sometimes take off the breasts for other purposes if the bird is big. Must try this zuni chicken !
Some ideas on these threads:
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Here’s the recipe, although it’s not much. It’ll easily serve 4, or even up to 8 if they’re light eaters or you provide additional sides.
Take a whole chicken (about 4 lbs, dressed weight) and cut out the backbone. Flatten it, cracking the breast if necessary, but do not trim the excess fat. (There IS no excess fat! All the fat on the chicken is good!) Carefully separate the skin from the breast halves and leg quarters but leave it on the bird. Work about half a teaspoon of kosher salt between the skin and each breast half, as well as under the skin on the leg quarters. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt on the cavity side, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
Cut a hearty loaf of crusty bread into Âľ" cubes (this is where the focaccia comes in). Toss the bread cubes with half a cup of chicken broth and a good drizzle of olive oil until well distributed. Put some olive oil in an oven-safe 12" skillet (I have used both a SS and CI to good effect) and smear it all over. Scatter the bread cubes in the pan, then lay the chicken, cavity side down, on top of the bread cubes. Smear the chicken with some more olive oil, and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Put into a 450F oven for about 50 minutes. Pull from the oven and move the chicken to a carving board to rest while you assemble the salad.
Toss a huge handful of your favorite salad greens with the bread cubes (if you’re living right, you won’t have to scrape them too much from the pan) and dress with the vinaigrette of your choice. Carve the chicken and serve it with the salad.
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I prefer to buy whole chicken too, when good quality birds are available. Deboning can seem intimidating, but becomes easier with more practice. Since I almost always cook for myself, and occasionally family, I don’t worry to much if I butcher a piece of meat. More practice will make better! You’re already familiar with removing the breasts, so the only other cut I find myself de-boning regularly are chicken thighs. This helps with allowing them to cook more evenly, and for skin to crisp up better, if you are leaving skin on. De-boning chicken thighs are actually easier than the breast, in my opinion. They will always look a little mangled, so don’t let that worry you.
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Thank you ! I’ll sit myself in front of youtube one day and do it 
I kid you not - that is exactly what I did to get the basics down. Watching Jacques Pepin’s videos (he has a few that explain how to debone and/or break down a chicken) helped a lot. The deboning video is more complex, since they’re trying to make a galantine, but it gives you insight into how to approach deboning.
One thing not mentioned here is that I find it easier to start with removing the back using poultry shears first. So much easier with a flat chicken, then a round chicken flopping and rolling around!
Breaking down chicken:
Deboning chicken:
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Looking up solar oven! BRB, if anyone else is curious.
Here’s something. it is; like in the Top Chef episode!
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Make chicken essence with the whole chicken.
Then once the chicken is “spent” debone, and reserve the meat for chicken salad and the bones, wings, neck, etc. to make stock.
Chicken 3 ways!
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I used to stock up on whole fryers when they were on sale, but it’s like filling my freezer with bowling balls. They’re just not very space efficient!
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More often than not, we’ll roast or grill BISO breasts or thighs. I love this NYT recipe for either:
We’ve never once fried it, just add the sesame oil to the marinade. Comes out fantastic at 375˚F in the oven for roughly 45 min. If the skin isn’t crispy, you can put it under the broiler to finish.
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Our favorite chicken (parts) recipe is this one from the Jerusalem cookbook via the NYT.
Can’t make enough of it, seldom have leftovers.
I make coq au vin with bone-in-skin-on thighs. Nothing fancy, just a quick mirepoix, brown the chicken, 50/50 red wine and stock with thyme, salt, and pepper (fish sauce if you like) 1/3 of the height of the thighs, add mushrooms (here, brown and cepes) and carrots, covered slow braise at 275F for 45 minutes, up to 350F uncovered to brown the skin.
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I know bone in chicken pieces have a lot more flavor. But I don’t care anything about eating them with a fork and knife. Too much trouble.
That’s when you toss the silverware aside and start gnawing 
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