Whole Chicken · Nose to Tail — One Bird, Every Part — Whole vs. Cut-Up

a whole chicken is the cheapest, most flexible way to eat chicken. One bird breaks into two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, two wings, the back & carcass for stock, and the giblets — four or five meals instead of paying double for a tray of parts. The rule: white meat (breast) cooks fast to just-done; dark meat (thigh, leg) is forgiving and loves a hard roast or a braise; the frame is gold. Buy parts only when a recipe wants all one cut (a tray of thighs) and you don't feel like breaking down a bird.