# "Remove at the knuckle"? What?



## seans_potato_business (Jan 6, 2011)

An excerpt from a supermarket website regarding preparation of one of the chickens available:

_Remove all packaging. Pull out legs to open cavity,* remove at the  knuckle* and rub oil sparingly into the skin and inside cavity and season  both inside and out with salt & pepper._

What does that mean?? I don't want to buy a chicken full of giblets and preferably not one whose legs I need to tug!! :/


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## Bolas De Fraile (Jan 7, 2011)

When you pack a chicken to make it look tidy you cut the feet off leaving about 1" of bone so it will hook into the cavity, you dont need to cut them off just pull out and wrap a bit of foil round them as they may burn when roasting. When you have cooked the bird they will snap off easily.

Sean do you sell seed spuds?


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## taxlady (Jan 7, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> When you pack a chicken to make it look tidy you cut the feet off leaving about 1" of bone so it will hook into the cavity, you dont need to cut them off just pull out and wrap a bit of foil round them as they may burn when roasting. When you have cooked the bird they will snap off easily.
> 
> Sean do you sell seed spuds?



Well thank you for the explanation. I've never seen that. I was really wondering what it could mean.


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## Robo410 (Jan 7, 2011)

Here in the US we rarely do that as that end of the bone is the handle for the chicken leg. (Use the bolster end of your chef's knife, or a cleaver, and give a good whack with your free hand to cut right through it if you want.)


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## justplainbill (Jan 7, 2011)

The tip of a sturdy knife can be used to separate the knuckle which is similar to an automotive ball joint except that it contains cartilaginous connective tissue and tendons.  Good whacks can sometimes create bone splinters.


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