Breaking down a whole chicken is one of the most useful knife skills a home cook can learn: it is cheaper than buying parts, and you end up with a carcass for stock. In this classic technique video, Jacques Pépin cuts up a whole chicken in under a minute, narrating every cut so you can follow along at your own pace.
Watch how he uses the tip of the knife to find the joints rather than forcing through bone. That single habit is what separates clean, effortless butchery from a mangled bird.
