How to Debone a Whole Chicken for Chicken Ballotine or Galantine; My Daring Cooks Challenge

Before I say one word about deboning a whole chicken, a warning: Vegetarians and vegans (In my best Melissa McCarthy impersonation) LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY!

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

Make No Bones About It!

We’re deboning a chicken, here!

They’re not dead..just boneless. Created by Gary Larson.

So, I’m hosting the April Daring Cooks Challenge.  If you recall, I’ve hosted a few other Daring Kitchen Challenges, my first being Cannoli, way back in late 2009..then Cassoulet in late 2010, and finally, Tempering Chocolate and Homemade Candy in the summer of 2011, with Mandy.  But, this challenge just may be the most ambitious one.  I wasn’t sure if many would take part, but not only did many take part, they completely kicked butt!  My fellow Daring Cooks are amazing!

As you already know by the title of this post, the challenge was to debone a whole chicken.  and do it using the method by Jacques Pepin in the video below. Then they’re to stuff it with a stuffing of their choice, roll it, tie (truss) it, and roast or poach it, for a Chicken Ballotine or Galantine.

I used Jacques’ Red Rice Stuffing, but the variety of stuffings my fellow Daring Cooks came up with are spectacular! I was drooling every time someone posted their challenge in the completed challenge thread!

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

Back in the mid-90’s, I watched about 7 hours of Jacques Pepin’s ‘Complete Cooking Techniques’ on PBS one rainy Sunday.  I never ordered the VHS set they were hawking, which turned out to be a good thing since the amount of bulky tapes (like 10 or more) would have taken up far too much space, not to mention, I would have never been able to sell them on ebay once I purchased the set on DVD in 2006.  2006 was also the first time I deboned a whole chicken after watching Jacques do it approximately 20 times.  I stood up and said to no one in particular;

“I’m doing this.”

Well, I did it, and I was amazed I did it, and since then, I can’t stop doing it.

I told Lis about this when we were discussing daring challenge ideas, and here we are today.

I wanted to share this incredible skill and inspire everyone to venture miles out of their comfort zone so they too could master this amazing skill, and impress the heck out of everyone when they place it on the table and slice it up.  But that’s just the beginning, because once you taste it, it’s a mind and palate-blowing moment.  This takes chicken to an almost surreal level, and some said they may never roast chicken on the bone again.  I know bones are flavor, but in this case, I think the absence of the bones leads to the juices of the chicken basting the stuffing in a way that permeates the whole chicken, giving the chicken a flavor and texture that’s completely different (and even more amazing) than your basic, bone-in, stuffed and roasted chicken.

Having said all that, I’m posting the challenge as I did at the Daring Kitchen, and I would love it if you would all join in!  It’s rewarding, impressive, obscenely flavorful, AND, the best part; the chicken has a slightly new taste to it once deboned, stuffed, tied (trussed), and roasted.  I can’t explain it, but, as mentioned above, you’ll never taste a chicken (or any poultry, like some Daring Cooks tackled ie: duck, turkey and partridge!) this GOOD.

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

In fact, this chicken is so good that I told everyone they could eat the front end of it before I took slice photos.  Since I’ve made this several times before, I know how incredible it is and couldn’t resist a sliver myself.  Before I knew it, a little more than half the Ballotine was gone, leaving me with mostly back end slices, and cries of ‘Hurry up and take those photos, we want to finish it!” So, I got one slice of white meat with the stuffing smack in the middle, and the rest, as already mentioned, was the back end for photographs.

It was worth it, and the back end was gone within minutes of the last click.

I’m so thrilled with everyone who threw all trepidation to the wind and tackled this challenge with intensity and gusto.  I can’t tell you how great it was see comments like this;

Without this challenge, I can assure you the odds are quite high that I would have lived my life without ever deboning a chicken. The end result was amazing! Thank you!  – Renee

The best part is, most everyone wants to do it again and again, and some already have! I hope this propels some of you to go for it.  I can almost guarantee you will end up loving it and thinking – this was so much easier than I thought it would be, and the end result was otherworldly!

One more thing. I decided to nix my ‘pile o’ bones’ photo because it’ was already looking a little like an abattoir in here with my ‘Silence of the Lambs, Chicken’‘ glamour shot.  I didn’t want to gross out those who might be squeamish.  It’s a pretty gnarly photo.

With ALL that said, here’s the challenge. Hope you enjoy it!

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

Are you ready to get really DARING? Well, I’ve got the challenge for you, and although it may seem daunting, it really isn’t because once you do it once, you’ll want to do it again and again, and you’ll get better and better at it. It’s also a rewarding skill that you’ll have in your culinary arsenal forever. We’re going to debone (I actually call it boning out a chicken, but Jacques Pepin calls it deboning, and who am I to argue with the master?) a whole chicken, stuff it, tie it (truss it), then roast it to create a Chicken Ballotine also known as a Ballotine of Chicken also known as a Poule en Saucisse.

You may have also heard of a Chicken Galantine, and some think it’s the same thing, but the difference between a Chicken Ballotine (some call it Ballantine) and a Chicken Galantine is the cooking and serving method. Galantine is a deboned, stuffed chicken that is tied (trussed), rolled in a cloth, simmered in stock or braised, then served cold. It’s also commonly stuffed with forcemeat. If you’d prefer to poach your chicken, by all means, go right ahead, but I’m only providing the recipe for Chicken Ballotine, which is tied (trussed) and roasted. I have linked a Chicken Galantine recipe at the end of this post, in case you’re interested.

So, exactly what is a Ballotine (Ballantine)? The definition of Ballotine, according to Larousse Gastronomique, is: Meat, fowl, game or fish which is boned, stuffed and rolled into a bundle.

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

Here’s the fun and unique part of this challenge: it’s a challenge by video. The video is by Jacques Pepin, whom I’ve admired and learned so much from the past 15 plus years. The man is a demigod in the kitchen, and a wonderful teacher as well. He makes it easy and uncomplicated, and it’s pure art the way he skillfully bones out the chicken with smooth, surgical precision. I’m still in awe every time I watch this video. You will be too.

I think this is the best method for deboning a chicken because outside of the scraping of the leg bones, it involves minimal cutting. You cut, then pull the chicken from the carcass and bones as you go along, but you must use a very sharp knife. I use a VERY sharp paring knife because I’m more comfortable with the size, and it works beautifully. In fact, I 100% recommend using a small knife, even a little smaller than the one he uses in the video since you have more control, and it’s safer. For us women, it’s ideal for our dainty hands.

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice StuffingI usually rub a chicken with compound butter before roasting, but this time I used oil.  Uneven color and a little burned on the side.  Back to compound butter from hereon in!

Since you will be following the video step-by-step, you will end up rewinding each step several times, as I did the first time I tried it. When I first did it, years ago, I was watching it on my Jacques Pepin Complete Techniques DVD set, so I kept running back and forth from the table to the TV, washing my hands each time.

I know. Crazy.

Since you’ll be watching it online, I recommend placing your laptop or Ipad, or whatever you use, on a table next to the one that you’re deboning the chicken on. When you need to rewind, wrap your fingers/hand in a clean towel, or latex free gloves, to do so (UPDATE:  Renata came up with a great idea! Place plastic wrap over your keyboard and mouse!). You can wash your hands every time you need to rewind, but trust me, unless you already have experience boning out a whole chicken, it can get tedious because you may be rewinding a lot!

The first time I deboned a chicken, it took me about an hour. Don’t worry about the time it takes to do this since not many, outside of Jacques (and Martin Yan) can debone a whole chicken in one minute. Please do NOT try to achieve that! That would be a crazy to attempt, considering you have only 5 minutes of a chicken deboning skill under your belt as opposed to their 30 plus years . Like with everything in life, the more you do it, the better you get at it. I’m down to 10-15 minutes after doing it 10 times! Not too shabby,.and I’m still amazed that I can do it.

Putting aside all the technical aspects of this challenge for a moment.. do you know what it’s like to bite into a whole drumstick filled with luscious stuffing, not worrying about the bone? It’s my favorite part to eat, BUT, you need to cut off the drumstick holding the knuckle at the end, because it melds into the chicken ballotine since there’s no bone to hold it up.  However, it’s lovely sliced within the roll, too; a mix of dark and white meat with the stuffing.

That said, butchers charge anywhere from $40.00 to even $80.00 to debone a whole chicken, so learning this skill saves you money too.  I guarantee that the ballotine will not only impress the heck out of your family and/or guests, but it will also elicit raves over the taste and texture. Everyone I’ve ever served it to went nuts for it, and always ask when I’m going to make it again.

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

On another note, I did not change anything in any of these recipes since, in my experience, I’ve never had a Jacques Pepin recipe, including this one, not turn out perfect in every single aspect. Both stuffing recipes were created for this Chicken Ballotine recipe by Jacques Pepin, so both are the perfect amount of stuffing to stuff and roll a 3 3/4 to 4 lb chicken.

Finally, I did not take photos of each step deboning the chicken because; 1) There would be like 50 messy photos that would confuse all of you, and 2) When you’re boning out/deboning a chicken, you’re in a zone, so stopping to wash your hands and take a photo of each cut and each pull would be tedious and distracting. I also didn’t want to contaminate my camera (if you have someone to shoot photos while you’re doing it, by all means, go for it!) , and 3) The video shows you every single step clearly. You need nothing but the video, hence this being a challenge by video.

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

How to Debone a Whole Chicken

Recipe Source: Essential Pepin – kqed.org

For the April Daring Cooks Challenge, Lisa (Me) from Parsley, Sage and Sweet has challenged us to debone a whole chicken, using this video by Jacques Pepin as our guide; then stuff it, truss (tie) it and roast it, to create a Chicken Ballotine.

Mandatory Items: You must bone out a whole chicken, stuff it, roll it and tie it, also known as trussing it. The method of cooking it is your choice. If you absolutely cannot do a whole chicken, buy some whole chicken legs and debone the thigh and drumstick like he does in the video, then stuff and tie them shut. The sauce and chicken lollipops are not mandatory. I threw the wings into a stock I made afterwards.

Variations allowed: As mentioned above, if a whole chicken is too much, bone out and stuff some whole chicken legs. I’ve provided two recipes for stuffing from Jacques Pepin, specifically made for this Chicken Ballotine, but you can prepare and use any kind of stuffing you want. I’ve also given you the recipe for his sauce that goes with the Chicken Ballotine, but use any sauce you want, although it doesn’t need a sauce. It’s your choice whether to make one or not, it’s not a requirement. You may also poach your stuffed and tied (trussed) chicken if you’d like, for a Galantine of Chicken. in which I’ve provided a link for at the end of this post. You can find and use your own Chicken Galantine recipe, if desired.

If you want to use another bird such as duck, go right ahead. A friend once made some lovely Cornish game hen ballotines that were out of this world!

Note: Take your time with the wishbone, the first bone you will be cutting out. It tends to crack easily, and it can puncture your finger. Use towels for gripping the chicken when you cut and/or pull, if need be, since you know how slippery chicken can be. Most important – keep a clean area! Make sure everything is washed thoroughly before proceeding. After you’ve boned out the chicken, wash and sterilize everything – from the table to the cutting board, towels, knives etc. Finally, save the carcass and bones to make stock! Freeze in a freezer bag if you’re not going to make stock immediately..up to 1 year.

ALTERNATIVE COOKS – I’ve wracked my brain trying to come up with something as challenging for you all, but could not. So, stuff and roast a vegetable of your choice; do something we’ve almost never seen before!

Preparation time: The time it takes to debone a whole chicken is different for everyone. Take your time; learn as you go, and be careful.
Red Rice Stuffing – 1 hour and 5 minutes plus cooling time.
Spinach, Cheese and Bread Stuffing – About 5 – 10 minutes plus cooling time.
Sauce – 5-10 minutes
Whole Stuffed Chicken – 1 hour roasting time

Equipment required:
● A very sharp knife to cut off the wings (recommended: a chef’s knife)
● A very sharp knife that fits your hand comfortably to debone the chicken. (recommended: a boning or paring knife)
● Clean, sterile cutting board
● Lots of kitchen towels
● Cotton kitchen twine
● Roasting pan

Watch this video on youtube, where the screen is larger

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Spinach Cornbread Stuffing

Ballotine 2007 – I just found these photos from 2007 – my third ballotine.  This was before a food blog was even a glint in my eye, but apparently it was a premonition.  I thought these photos were AWESOME back then. Anyway, much better color on this ballotine because I rubbed it with butter instead of oil.  I think I made a spinach cornbread stuffing for this one, or it might have been the spinach, cheese and bread stuffing recipe below.

All of the recipes below were created by Jacques Pepin.

Ballotine of Chicken
Servings: 4 -6

1 chicken (about 3-3/4 to 4 pounds) (1-3/4 kg), boned as in video.
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) (1¼ gm) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) (½ gm) freshly ground black pepper
Red Rice Stuffing or Spinach, Cheese, and Bread Stuffing (see recipes below)

Sauce
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine (you can substitute chicken or vegetable stock or fruit juice, such as grape)
1 celery stalk (2 oz) (60 gm), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch (1¼ cm) dice (1/2 cup) (120 ml)
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 carrot (2 oz) (60 gm), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch (1¼ cm) dice (1/3 cup) (80 ml)
1/2 teaspoon (2½ ml) potato starch OR cornstarch (4 gm), dissolved in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (4 gm) chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:
1 Preheat the oven to moderately hot 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6.

2 Lay the chicken skin side down on the work surface and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread the cool rice or spinach mixture evenly over the chicken – stuffing the legs too. If using the spinach stuffing, sprinkle the cheese and bread cubes on top of the spinach. Roll the chicken up, tie it (truss it) with kitchen string/twine, and place it in a roasting pan.

3. Roast the ballotine for about 1 hour or until the temperature is 160-165 degrees F in the center of the ballotine. I took mine out after 50 minutes and let it sit until it reached 165. Lift it from the pan and place it on a platter.

NOTES – My chicken didn’t brown very well as you can see in the photo below. even though I rubbed it with olive oil before seasoning it. I guess it’s just the luck of the draw. Try rubbing it with butter..or brushing it with melted butter, which has worked out well for me in the past as far as browning goes. A glaze of your choice, brushed on for the last 10 to 15 minutes of roasting will probably give you good color too. Also, I pounded the chicken prior to stuffing it to make for easier rolling. Place some plastic wrap over your deboned, open chicken, and flatten as best you can with a mallet or rolling pin.

For the sauce:
4. Skim off and discard most of the fat from the drippings in the pan. Add the water and wine to the drippings to deglaze the pan, and heat over medium heat, stirring to loosen and melt the solidified juices.

5. Strain the juices into a saucepan. Add the celery, onion, and carrot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved potato starch and soy sauce and bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring, to thicken it. Remove from the heat.

6. Transfer the ballotine to a cutting board and remove the string. Cut half of it into 4 or 5 slices, each about 1 inch thick. Return the uncut half of the ballotine to the serving platter and arrange the cut slices in front of it. Pour the sauce over and around the ballotine, garnish with the parsley, and serve. Cut additional slices of ballotine as needed at the table.

Red Rice Stuffing
1/2 cup (120 ml) (115 gm) (4 oz) Wehani rice, or any red or brown rice
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) chicken or vegetable stock or low-salt canned chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon (1 ¼ ml) (1½ gm) salt
1/2 ounce (15 gm) (about 1/2 cup) dried mushrooms, such as cèpes (porcini), rinsed and broken into pieces
1/2 large leek, trimmed (leaving some green), split, washed, and sliced (1 cup)
1 onion (4 ounces/120 gm), chopped (3/4 cup) (180 ml)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the rice, stock, salt, and dried mushrooms in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 1 hour, or until the rice is tender. Set the rice aside in the pan, uncovered.

2. Meanwhile, combine the leek, onion, oil, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and cook at a gentle boil for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook until all the water is gone. Add to the rice, mix well, and let cool to room temperature.

Spinach, Cheese, and Bread Stuffing
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) finely chopped garlic
5 ounces (140 gm) baby spinach leaves
1/4 teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1¼ ml) (½ gm) freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups cubed (1/2-inch) (1¼ cm) bread
1 cup (240 ml) grated Gruyère or mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces/115 gm)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute to soften the garlic and wilt the spinach. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and and stir in the bread. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the cheese.

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips: Wrap up any leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If not using bones, scraps and carcass from chicken for a stock or any other preparations, immediately, seal tightly in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 year.

Additional Information:
Chicken Galantine Recipe
Boning Knife Jacques uses in video – in case you’re interested

We like to keep the theme French when I make this, so we serve the ballotine with Lyonnaise Potatoes and haricot verts (skinny green beans).

How to debone a whole Chicken with Minimal Cutting and Chicken Ballotine with Red Rice Stuffing

Thanks to all who participated in this challenge and I hope those who have read through it here, try it soon!

Now..after all of this, I hope you will be saving room for dessert because boy do I have a dessert for you!  This is Jacques Pepin’s recipe for Vanilla Bean Creme Caramel.  A perfect dessert to pair with his lovely ballotine.

Go get the recipe; HERE.  Watch the video on how to make it, HERE.

NOTE – Add a vanilla bean or two along with the vanilla extract in written recipe.  Omit cognac in sugar syrup..or not.

The actual recipe I’m referring to for this creme caramel, which does not contain cognac, is in Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home.

You can see it made from start to finish, here at 11:52, but I have no idea if it’s approved/licensed to stay on youtube.

Jaxques Pepin's Creme Caramel

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78 Responses to How to Debone a Whole Chicken for Chicken Ballotine or Galantine; My Daring Cooks Challenge

  1. Pingback: Whole Chicken Kitchen Hacks and Recipes | Simplify, Live, Love

  2. johanna says:

    oh my goodness! this is so amazing!! it came out PERFECTLY!! it just looks so scrummy!!!
    thanks for this amazing demo and for the encouragement to try de-boning a bird for myself :))

  3. I’m definitely among the cooks that loved this technique! I knew that a challenge hosted by you would have a WOAHH factor! Thank you so so much for taking us to the deboning world and for being such a wonderful hostess. Thanks for your lovely words and encouragement for all of us DCs!
    Needless to say that your red rice stuffed chicken looks gorgeous, perfectly executed, and a wonderful example for all of us.
    THANK YOU!!!

  4. Where was Jacques when I tried this myself and it took all day and looked like a dog’s breakfast when I finished? 🙂 I’m off to watch a video!

  5. Shelley C says:

    You are a rock star. Truly. (And now I have the Jem theme song stuck in my head, but that’s a separate story…). I can’t thank you enough for this awesome, frustrating, yet truly delicious challenge. <3 you!!!

  6. I have to say this DC challenge has been the best so far for me, I agree totally something about the ballotine that really lifts it a whole quantum level above a normal roast, it just is so much better! I’m stunned how many cooks’ made multiple versions of the challenge and the comments of how tasty the final dish was. You really did pick a winner with this challenge. And thank you so much for the kind comments on my blog. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia,

  7. Cher says:

    Lisa – Thank you for such an A. Maz. Ing. challenge. I would have never done this one on my own (it kind of freaked me out at first).
    Of course, now the family says this is one of the best meals ever and they all want a repeat performance 🙂

  8. Sammie says:

    Oh boy Lisa! This chicken looks friggin’ amazing!!! And kudos to you for deboning the chicken! I must say it’s really impressive!!! And I’m definitely droolin’ over this… yummm! and i like how simple the fillings are but no doubt they’re delicious!

  9. WOW, WOW, WOW. I cannot wait to try this myself. What a fantastic challenge!! It looks absolutely amazing.

  10. Monkeyshines says:

    Thanks for ANOTHER awesome challenge Lisa! You are the hostess with the mostest! We never ever would have boned a whole chicken without your inspiration. So much fun, so worth it. Thanks so much!!

  11. Lisa says:

    Thank you for the comment on my blog :))
    You’re right, I think that chickens are more yellow in Europe, or maybe it was just the light in my kitchen 😀
    I will definitely try the rice/mushroom stuffing because it looks wonderful in your chicken.
    Trying for the first time a deboned chicken was really surprising with a whole new flavour and softness, I couln’t believed it tasted so good.
    Thanks again for the challenge, leaving the comfort zone was really exciting !

  12. Thank you, Thank you for such an amazing, wonderful challenge! I would have never thought to do this myself in a million years. I still can’t believe I did it, even though I thoroughly mangled my chicken. It is definitely SO delicious, though! I can’t wait to do it again!

  13. Wow Lisa, I want to be invited to your house next time you make this! I´m absolutely deboning a chicken and making a gallantine soon. At some point, many years ago, my mother decided she was done with the stuffed turkey for christmas and started serving (not making because she bought it) stuffed rolled chicken with ham, cheese, tomatoes, carrots and peas. It was amazing, and could be eaten warm or cold, which was perfect for hot christmases. This is an awesome post!

  14. I did something similar with chicken breast, but never with a whole chicken. This is a true challenge!

  15. That is an incredibly beautiful chicken my friend, you nailed this! 🙂

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  16. Monkey Queen says:

    Great challenge! I will be using this technique over and over again. Please feel free to use the “Boneless Chicken Ranch” cartoon. Makes me laugh every time I see boneless chicken anywhere. I drool over your wild rice gallantine. Beautiful! Thanks again for a GREAT challenge.

  17. barb says:

    I absolutely loved this challenge! Thanks so much. And I thought of that same Far Side cartoon 🙂

  18. Rosa Mayland says:

    Very well done! Your chicken ballotine looks perfect and ever so scrumptious.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  19. Thank you so much for this challenge Lisa. I am one of those who would have never tried to debone a whole chicken if it wasn’t for you! I had great fun and this is a skill I am really glad I learnt. Thank you

  20. Aisha says:

    Thanks so much for hosting the challenge it was amaizing!!

  21. Sophie33 says:

    What a lot of work, dear Lisa! It is a work of fine art & must be so delicious too! A very festive dish for me! Yummmm!

  22. Pingback: Daring Cooks’ Challenge: Make No Bones About It! | Dry Spell

  23. mlspell says:

    This challenge was a blast! Thanks so much for hosting this month.

  24. Oh my gosh….I am so impressed and am seriously wishing I was in the DC again! This is on my list of things to do…my dad, who grew up in a meat market told me I was crazy for even wanting to do this. Well, next time he comes to visit, this is on my to do list!

  25. jamielifesafeast says:

    OMG! You are astonishing and amazing and I soooo have to try this now. You told me about this but it is even more beautiful than I could have imagined. You have inspired me and my “dainty lady hands” to try it myself. And the fillings are fabulous, too. Good on ya, girl! Good golly I so want to spend a few weeks with you just cooking and baking! xoxo

  26. Now I’m going to have to bone a chicken! That dark meat mixed in with white did it 🙂 Beautiful achievement, Lisa!

  27. Wolf says:

    Of course I was going to do this Challenge}:P It was very intriguing and even if my stubborn chicken didn’t look near as pretty as yours when deboned, it was mighty tasty.}:P

    I actually meant to have photos posted last week and have the post up yesterday, but well, life got in the way. Heh.

    It was a fun Challenge, nonetheless! Kudos to you!

  28. Suz says:

    Your ballotine is so beautiful Lisa! Thanks for such a brilliant, daring challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, even if my dodgy attempts would have made poor Jacques wince. (I loved his video. Must go back and watch the rest.) It tastes fab too. I’ve had requests to make this again (and again). Thank you. xx

  29. You really did an incredible job with this challenge, Lisa. I have been waiting to see this. That stuffing…oh my goodness, incredible! Your warning line and that Far Side cartoon-too funny! I love all the detailed photos and makes me inspired to debone:)

  30. Terra says:

    I have been wanting to try this, we have deboned a rabbit, so now chicken next!!! Your rice stuffing looks fabulous:-) I adore Jacques Pepin, I remember watching him with Julia Child on PBS…..YES I am that old, LOL!! Hugs, Terra

  31. Amy Tong says:

    oh…what a gorgeous. I had roast chicken for dinner but I’m sure that was nothing compared to you beautiful chicken! I can’t wait to try yours.

  32. First of all ha ha ha on the pile o bone Silence of the Chicken glamor shot. And Renata’s idea is great. I may have tried this once like 20 years ago. I will definitely will need to try this again very soon. Great challenge my dear.

  33. Kiran says:

    Omg. I could never attempt at such masterpiece! Well done!

  34. Hi Lisa, I had this page open to comment for a day now. Another masterpiece! You are one of the best bloggers out there, pulling all stops!

  35. Liz says:

    What a fantastic challenge! With your wonderful endorsement, I must try your recipe!!!! Thanks for all the detailed instructions 🙂

  36. ramblingtart says:

    You are amazing and this is GORGEOUS!!! I have an abundance of ducks at the moment (seriously – they breed like rabbits!!) so I will try this with ducks instead of chickens. Delish!

  37. I am so proud of you. You did an amazing job! Your chicken looks so moist and juicy and love that stuffing. Great explanations and a immense challenge. However, with what is going on in China and now that I live in Hong Kong, I have removed poultry from our diets except from chicken breast from the States. It is really concerning.

  38. Carolyn says:

    Just gorgeous and I want to do this now! I’ve never deboned a chicken in my life but you make me brave enough to try.

  39. Dan says:

    Awesome work I sure wouldn’t want to be a chicken in your kitchen – ouch! I must take on this challenge and do it myself – it looks fantastic. Love the photos makes your mouth water. Great work – as usual :).

  40. Mike says:

    I saw this all over twitter and wow, you are a rock star. This is what fine cooking is all about! You’ve convinced me to try it..Pepin is indeed the master!

  41. Emma says:

    Hi Lisa, thank you for the encouragement to do this! I actually deboned my first chicken this weedend and it was oh so good. It nearly took me an hour, with rewinding an looking at Pepin doin his thing. Love the way he says “Lollypop” 😀 The best part of serving the deboned chicken, was that you could just slice it up, no carving, no picking bones at the table…

    • Lisa says:

      I am so thrilled that my post gave you the push to debone a chicken and make a ballotine! I’m so hoping you blog it!! That said, it took me an hour the first time too..but once you taste the ballotine..that’s more than enough encouragement to keep doing it – In fact, I’m craving another one this week!
      —————
      PS – I love how he says Lollipop too..I adore his French accent!

  42. This is truly a great skill to have. Very impressive.

  43. Trisha says:

    It looks simply perfect …. I don’t think I have the skill to do this! You’ve done a great job.

    I’m hosting a giveaway on my blog and would love for you to be a part of it –
    http://www.myhobbielobbie.com/2013/04/a-few-of-my-favorite-things-and-giveaway.html

  44. I DID IT! I found the link to your blog on Pinterest and just knew. i had to climb this mountain. and i’m so glad i did! this is the best thing I’ve made for dinner in a long time! and it was surprisingly easy! it really did only take about 15 minutes to do! Next time i’ll let the chicken rest on the counter, mine was still a tad frozen which made it harder to pull away from the carcass. i stuff mine with cornbread box stuffing mixed with spinach and made a balsamic red white sauce to drizzle over the top! i’m RAVING! thanks so much for this post!!

    • Lisa says:

      You are amazing! I was smiling from ear to ear reading your comment 🙂 I am so thrilled you dove right in and nailed it!! Now you have this incredible culinary skill and you can play with so many preparations and fillings! Thank you for letting me know -it really made my day!

  45. Amazing that you deboned the chicken, it’s something I’ve always wanted to try! This sounds great.

  46. You are awesome, and so ambitious! Your chicken belongs on the cover of a magazine, Lisa!

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  48. Beth says:

    This is awesome stuffed with cornbread. Dressing and shrimp, or crawfish, my fam loves it..

    • Lisa says:

      I think it’s my favorite way to eat chicken – hands down. Your cornbread dressing with shrimp or crawfish sounds amazing, Beth!

  49. Valerie says:

    Damn, I would’ve loved this challenge! Too bad I’ve had to stop doing the DB and DC challenges for lack of time… It must have been a blast!

  50. Blanca says:

    Beautiful job. He is an expert! I will try to do it. The presentation is neat.

  51. Just came across that Pepin video and I deboned my chicken yesterday, took him 4 minutes, took me twenty. One glitch, I used my rolling pin to break the leg bone tip and it shattered – I cut it off because i didn’t want anyone choking on a shard. Gonna stuff it today with cornbread cranberry stuffing. Wish me luck!

    • Lisa says:

      Awesome, Deb! Wait until you taste it…the way it’s tenderized from the deboning and rolled gives it a certain something you don’t get with a bone-in roasted chicken. That said, a rolling pin was probably not a good idea..the back of a heavy knife gives you a nice, clean break..so try that next time. Good luck and please let me know how it turned out! 🙂

  52. Henry Lau says:

    Just did my first ballotine and your blog was invaluable as I was looking for the cooking temp. After I put it in the oven I read through and everything you say I had going through my head as I was scraping bones and whatnot. Great blog and great encouragement. Wonderful!

    • Lisa says:

      I’m so glad my post was of help to you, Henry, and so glad you did it and enjoyed it! Such a great skill to have and so delicious!

  53. Bill says:

    Watched an old episode of Pepin. Deboned my first chicken 2weeks ago turned out well stuffed it with spinach sun dried tomatoes peppers and onions. Today did my second chicken in record time and am doing a take on a Sunday chicken dinner. Ballottine Stuffed with garlic mashed potatoes basil sweet corn and sweet peppers and scallions. Turned out excellent.

    • Lisa says:

      Wow, Bill..you’re really going to town with the ballotine..I’m lucky to make it twice a year! Isn’t it amazing? I love the sound of the spinach, sun dried tomato and pepper stuffing and the garlic mashed potato, sweet basil, corn, pepper and scallion stuffing sounds AMAZING! Could I get an invite? lol 😉

  54. Thank you for this wonderful demonstration! I watched the video a million times and practiced deboning on a few chickens with glad wrap over my iPad to protect it from my messy hands! So simple and easy if you just take the time to learn. Definitely a must-have cooking skill.

    • Lisa says:

      You’re so welcome, Marisa! It definitely is an amazing and rewarding skill to have..so glad you mastered it and enjoyed the result!

  55. Long Nguyen says:

    The dish looks good but I have seen a debone chicken that top even that. I have witness someone debone a chicken from head to toe without breaking the skin. Now that is what I call deboneing a whole chicken

  56. Heather says:

    Tried this today! Took me a little while. But it is browning up beautifully in the oven now.

    • Lisa says:

      Heather, I wish I was at your house right now because chicken ballotine is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life, no matter how many times I eat it. Wait until you taste the difference the deboning makes..it self bastes and gives a whole new flavor and texture to whole, roasted chicken! What kind of stuffing did you use? 🙂 Also, was this your first time debooning a whole chicken? If so, how did it go?

  57. Bob says:

    I’ve done ballotine many times. A few things I do to help with prep: I line my counter with 3-4 sheets (side by side) with saran wrap, and work on top of that. I don’t find that I need a cutting board, since the 4 cuts are to the joints of the chicken, but maybe that’s just me. I also wear powder-free latex gloves. When I’m finished deboning and tying the chicken, cleanup is really easy. Just chuck the gloves onto the saran wrap, roll it all up, and toss it. One other thing I have tried that seems to make a difference is when I season the chicken before stuffing it, I let it sit for about 20 minutes to absorb the salt. Like a dry brine. Seems to make it even more tender.

    • Lisa says:

      Thanks for the awesome tips, Bob! It’s always nice to hear other’s experiences and tweaks that improve on an already amazing method, prep, and dish. I love the idea of dry brining it with salt prior to stuffing it and will try that next time! That said, I also wear powder free latex gloves when I debone ( I find it gives you a better grip on the chicken too!), but I’m a slave to the cutting board because my saran wrap always wrinkles up and slides, no matter how perfectly I lay it. I never had a good relationship with plastic wrap lol.

  58. Johanna Logue says:

    OMG, I know this post is a few years old, but WOW, that was a great video. I watched several and this seems the easiest, quickest way. I never heard of Chef Pepin, now I’ve been on YouTube for the last hour watching his videos. AWESOME! This video has inspired me to have the confidence to debone a chicken, I’ll be working on it this weekend. Thanks for the post!!

    • Lisa says:

      Hi, Johanna! Now wait, you’ve never heard of Jacques Pepin? Boy am I glad you do now! He is (to me) the most amazing chef in the world, hands down! That said, I’m so glad you’re going to take this on! You will be amazed at how easy it is; not to mention how good it tastes. Like I said in my post, you’ve never tasted chicken like this; probably having something to do with the way the chicken braises the stuffing and the stuffing permeates and flavors the whole chicken since their are no bones in the way, Let me know how it goes!

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  60. I made something like this except I cut the whole chicken in half from neck to butt and left the leg bone in, and when it was done it resembled a pear, with golden crust, it was stuffed with either rice or riced potato and veggies chopped small, after taking all the bones out but the leg bone, I made a ankle slice and pulled the skin down to bare the bone, then, I stuffed the cavity of the dark and white meat and skin with potato etc., and brought the skin and meat around and under,ting the weight hold the contents in. stood it up on the pan, during cooking I basted it with pear, or peach juice, to make a caramelized skin that was crunchy, when served I put peaches pears and a salad on the side, and the presentation was beautiful. I do now know where I saw or learned how to do this, perhaps from a cooking show in the 70s, but being able to slice through chicken and have both dark and light meat, potato and veggie in each mouthful was very good to the mouth.

  61. BRUCE MacGREGOR says:

    CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THIS.
    WONDERFUL COMMENTS

  62. Johanna Logue says:

    I saw this and had to leave a comment, not something I normally do. Last year for Thanksgiving I asked my Turkey cooking hubby to try something different and make a recipe for Spicy sausage stuffed Turkey beast. He refused and suggested that I try something different. I did. Spicy sausage Stuffed roasted chicken. I used the original recipe, same Jacques video and did a practice run on some co workers. It didn’t look very good but was very tasty. On Thanksgiving day I made two, Sooooo pretty and perfectly cooked. The chicken disappeared! Since then I have deboned multiple chickens, chicken breasts etc. So easy once you get the hang of it. Probably took me an hour the first time, and now takes me around 15 minutes. Still not as fast as Jacques, but halfway decent for a home cook. It definitely takes some time to get the knack of it, but sooo worth the final product.

    • Lisa says:

      Thank you for sharing your experience and triumph with Jacques’ amazing deboning method, Johanna! The spicy sausage stuffing sounds delightful! ITA that the time it takes to learn it is SO SO worth it! xo

  63. delhindra says:

    Thanks for your recipe

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