Question for British Cooks - What Are Chicken Joints

Amarante

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 8:50 pm

I want to try a recipe which I think is British in origin since it uses aubergine instead of eggplant.

It specifies 6 chicken "joints". Is a joint a specific part of the chicken. Does it mean any parts of the chicken?

I tried googling but I got a lot of chicken shack types of listings - meaning a restaurant instead of a chicken part of descriptions of how to cut chickens at various joints.

I keep going back and forth? I was thinking thighs but I don't normally bread thighs? Bone In Chicken Breast? Chicken Cutlets?

For context this is the recipe I want to try.

ICKEN IZMIR

Excerpt From: Judi Rose - 100 Best Jewish Recipes

SERVES 6

KEEPS FOR 2 DAYS IN THE FRIDGE | FREEZES FOR 3 MONTHS

This Turkish chicken dish with aubergine and warm spices is perfect for a spring dinner party. The sautéed aubergines give the sauce a distinctive rich, smooth flavour.

450g /1 lb aubergines, cut into 1cm/½in cubes
1 tbsp salt
125ml/4fl oz sunflower oil
6 chicken joints, skinned
1 heaped tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
10 grinds of black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
600 ml/1 pint vegetable stock
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
10 grinds of black pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander

Preheat the oven to 160°C /325°F/Gas 3.

Place the aubergine cubes in a bowl, cover with cold water and add the salt. Leave for half an hour and then squeeze out as much moisture as possible, or use a salad spinner. Put the sunflower oil in a large frying pan and heat for 3 minutes. Add the aubergine, cover and sauté on all sides until golden brown. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper.

Dry the chicken joints well and coat with the seasoned flour. In an oven-to-table casserole or sauté pan, fry the portions in the hot olive oil until they are a rich brown on all sides, then lift out and drain on paper towels to remove any surface fat.

In the same oil, gently sauté the chopped onion and garlic until they turn a rich brown. Keep the pan lid on for 5 minutes to soften them in the steam, then remove it to finish the browning.

Add the stock, tomato purée and seasonings. Stir well to release any tasty crispy bits adhering to the base of the casserole, then lay the chicken on top and surround with the fried aubergines. Bring to simmering point. Immediately cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is rich and thick.

Amarante

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 9:18 pm

mushkamothers wrote:

I did some googling for you and it seems like it can be leg or thigh, bone in.
I googled "what cut is called chicken joint" for reference.
Got some results about meat, not for chicken, it seems like it's chicken with a bone in it

Thank you - I was sort of picturing that because you can separate the drumstick from the leg at the "joint".

I might use boneless skinless chicken thighs as they saute nicely and work well when baked and also when reheated.

Amarante

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 9:28 pm

mushkamothers wrote:

They're calling whole chickens that are cut into pieces "jointed chicken"
Chicken is so versatile you can probably use any cut and just do your own cooking time

I agree that chicken for the most part is versatile and depends on one's own taste although it is difficult to saute bone-in chicken breasts Very Happy

I have fair number of British cookbooks but have never come across the term chicken joints without some explanation. Typically it would be chicken parts or pieces if they mean a cut up chicken with no particular part needed.

I do picture "joints" as the kind of large pieces of meat that Henry the VII would be waving around at a castle table with the other barons. LOL