Video: Boning and Grilling Chicken Legs

Learn the practical skill of boning chicken legs and thighs in the kitchen of En Japanese Brasserie. Try the steamed chicken recipe or grill the chicken, like Chef Abe-san does at En Japanese Brasserie, and serve with a tasty garlic soy sauce. Watch the demonstration of the boning technique in the included video.

One of the most useful skills I've been perfecting this fall working in the En Japanese Brasserie kitchen is boning chicken legs and thighs. I've boned dozens of these suckers so far and I can tell you that knowing how to do so is extremely practical, and useful at home, too. Give it a try. To help us out, I asked Chef Abe-san to demonstrate his jammin' technique in the video below. Notice that he's using a specialized (and very cool) Japanese boning knife, but a sharp utility knife works fine, too -- thanks, Abe-san!

Okay, so once you deboned the chicken, now what? Well, you can prepare the steamed chicken recipe I recently posted, or, you can do like Abe-san does at En, and grill the chicken, like the comely dish pictured above. (Alternatively, you can stick it in the broiler, which works great). Salt the bird just before you put it to fire. When it's ready, follow Abe-san's lead again and slice it up and serve with his tasty garlic soy sauce on the side (dip pieces of chicken into the garlic soy sauce). Preparing this accent is a snap: Combine 2 parts soy sauce with 1 part garlic-infused oil. You can add a clove or two of crushed garlic to taste, too, to give it some kick. Easy. And damn good.

Here's the video: