I'm fairly new to cooking and I am trying to cook a recipe that
requires chicken breasts cut up a certain way. I am passing along text
of the recipe that I do not understand. Can someone please convert the
following so that a beginning cook can understand it.

1. Remove the tendon from each chicken breast half: stroke out the
tendon with the boning knife to remove it cleanly. Seperate the filet
from the breast by lifting the end of the filet and pulling it toward
you. Set the filets aside.

2. With the chef's knife, split the breast open by slicing
three-quarters of the way through the meat, holding it firmly with the
flat of your hand, so the long straight edge of the breast forms the
hinge. Open the split breast, like a book, and place it between 2
sheets of moistened wax paper or plastic wrap. Repeat this process for
the remaining breasts.

Thanks,
softballkid1961

Howdy softballkid-ga,

What to do in the first part of your question is illustrated in this Hormel
Foods page titled "Boning a Chicken Breast."  You will want to scroll to the
bottom of the page for the pertinent image.
http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?catitemid=26&id=389

"Find the white tendon on the underside of the breast by lifting the flap
(tenderloins) at the wide end of the breast half. The tendon is tough, so
it best to remove it. Grasp one end of the tendon and pull it away from the
meat while scraping it off with a knife."

As for the second part of your question, if you look at the image of the
chicken breast above, the "long straight edge of the breast" is on the
right side.  You will want to (carefully) cut edgewise from the left side
of the breast (as shown in the above referenced image) to the right side
of the breast, 3/4s of the way to the right.

I am right handed, so when I filet a chicken breast, I put the "rounded"
edge of the breast on the right side, put my left hand flat on the chicken
breast, then cut it (the chicken breast, not my hand) right to left with
the knife in my right hand.  A sharp thin (such as a filet knife) blade
seems to work best for the above.

You will open the chicken breast, and it should look like the following
picture from the Pin Corporation web site.
http://www.pincorpn.com.sg/Chix_Breast.jpeg

If you need any clarification, please feel free to ask.


Search strategy:

Google Images search on: chicken breast
http://images.google.com/images?q=chicken+breast

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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Request for Answer Clarification by softballkid-ga on 31 Mar 2005 10:03 PST

Hi denco-ga,

So far so good - I especially like all of the photos. But I do have
one question. In item #1 they talk about:

 "Seperate the filet from the breast by lifting the end of the filet
and pulling it toward you. Set the filets aside."

What is the filet of the chicken breasts? More pictures would be helpful.

Thanks,
Softballkid1961

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Clarification of Answer by denco-ga on 31 Mar 2005 11:25 PST

Not a problem, softballkid-ga, and apologies on not catching that part of
the instructions.

If you look at the last picture on the previously referenced Hormel Foods
web page, the section to the right of the tendon (that is removed) is the
filet.

It is a little section of the chicken breast that is somewhat finger sized
in width and length.  Once the tendon is removed, the filet should come off
relatively easy, but you might want to use a paper towel to help grip it.

You will then be left with "just" the breast half itself, that you can then
(carefully, as it will be relatively thin) slice open, or "butterfly."

Here is the last image with no text.
http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/images/refimages/chicken/cuttendon.jpg

The filet portion is fairly well delineated in the middle right side of the
breast in that image.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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Request for Answer Clarification by softballkid-ga on 31 Mar 2005 13:39 PST

Hi denco-ga,
Is this the filet?

http://www.gabiana.com/temp.html

softballkid1961

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Clarification of Answer by denco-ga on 31 Mar 2005 15:39 PST

Yep, you got it, softballkid-ga.

I believe this is what the recipe is referring to as the filet of the chicken
breast.  Most people would consider the entire half of the chicken breast
removed from the bone to be a chicken breast filet, but your recipe seems to
want this small section of meat removed as well.  The recipe seems to want
to have the flattest single slice of chicken white meat possible.

If you cook up a chicken breast on the bone, there is the flat outer meat and
a "rolled" up section of meat on the interior, next to the bone.  This is the
section that I have referenced and that you have correctly outlined.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

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Clarification of Answer by denco-ga on 01 Apr 2005 10:31 PST

Howdy softballkid-ga,

Another reference for you is this Food Network page on how to "butterfly"
a chicken breast.  Apologies on not finding this earlier.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_intermediate/article/0,1971,FOOD_9800_2370613,00.html

Note that they reference the filet as the tenderloin.  I think this will
fill in some of the gaps in the process.


Search strategy:

Google Images search on: butterfly chicken breast
http://images.google.com/images?q=butterfly+chicken+breast

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Great Job!
Thanks,
Softballkid1961

Try an easier recipe.  This one seems to assume you're starting with a
whole chicken, rather than buying just the breasts.

No it does not assume I am starting out with a whole chicken. I am
working with chicken breasts only.

softballkid1961

Chicken breasts often have a tough white tendon under the fillet, a
small tender piece that is tucked underneath the main part of the
breast. If the breast is boneless, you can easily remove this tendon
with a sharp paring knife. To tenderize boneless chicken breasts,
pound them lightly between two sheets of plastic wrap. This also
flattens the breasts to a uniform thickness for even cooking.

Much thanks for the kind comment, 5 star rating and nice tip, softballkid-ga.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher