Use an outdoor sink if you have one available, since washing a chicken can be a messy job. Shake off the excess water when you’re finished.
Make sure to place the knife directly in the joint, between the two tendons, for a clean slice. You shouldn’t have to slice through bone. Discard the feet, unless you plan to use them in a recipe.
Use the knife to help loosen the skin as you pull it back.
The crop is attached tightly to the body of the chicken, so you’ll have to work it free. Take care not to break the crop open, since it it is likely to contain food the bird was in the process of digesting. If you do break it open, just remove as much of the tissue and its contents as possible. If the crop is empty of food, it may be more difficult to locate. It will be lying flat against the breast.
You may find it easier to pick up the chicken and twist off the neck with one hand. Either discard the neck or save it to make chicken stock.
Avoid slicing into internal organs when you make the cut. Since enlarging the hole will put pressure on the intestines, feces might leak out. If this happens, wash the chicken right away.
This process should be done slowly and carefully. Take extra care not to break the gall bladder, which is a small greenish organ. When all the guts have been removed, find the gall bladder and make sure it isn’t broken. If it is, the chicken meat has been contaminated by bile. The intestine will still be attached to the chicken with the intestinal vent. Use the knife to cut this away, making sure not to cut open the intestine itself. Discard the guts, or keep the gizzards and livers to use in a recipe.
