Wishbone removal: Why?

[Mofassah]

In most recipes for roast chicken I've stumbled upon, it says I should remove the wishbone. I have done it, and I have not. I must admit I am unable to notice any difference in the final result, other than the obvious, that the bone isn't there. So I'm wondering, why should it be removed?

[tim]

Removal of the wishbone makes it easier to remove the whole breast in a single piece.  That is the only benefit; many find it well worth the small effort.

 

Tim

[Kerry Beal]

As explained by my butcher friend years back (one night when we were deboning a huge quantity of double Dolly chicken breasts) - people choke on that bone more than any other chicken bone - and removing it also makes it easier to debone the rest of the breast as explained by Tim. 

Edited June 3, 2014 by Kerry Beal (log)

[rotuts]

as above.  same w a Turkey.  can't say for a Duck.

[Anna N]

Because before the advent of electronic toys it kept the kids amused on feast days. Seriously, it does make carving easier but lends nothing to improve texture or flavour.

[Mofassah]

Thanks for your replies. I usually just brutally cut my chicken in six pieces, first lengthwise and then make one piece with the leg, and cut the breast across in two equal part, one with the wing and the other without, and serve them bone in, so I haven't had any problems with the wishbone so far, and suspect I won't in the future either. :-)

[Shelby]

I remove it so that I can dry it out and then make a wish

[IowaDee]

Me too.  In fact the locals call them "pully bones" because that's what you do to make a wish.  At Thanksgiving, some local markets sell packages of nothing but pully bones  Just imagine a window sill filled with drying bones!

[huiray]

I remove it so that I can dry it out and then make a wish

 

Heh.  I do that too, but only after I cook the chicken. 

 

I must say I never even thought that the wishbone posed a choking hazard, let alone for LOTS OF FOLKS.  I find that just bizarre.  It seems curious to me how many, many folks in the West/USA just simply cannot handle bones in their food.

[Kerry Beal]

I see them every day in the ER.  That and pieces of BBQ brushes!

[rotuts]

don't think for a moment that those of the Oriental Persuasion Understand Bones as much as Others .

 

after all, they were Soooooooooo busy Inventing pretty much everything,

 

omelettes, etc etc.  

 

soup of all kinds 

 

etc etc

 

you want to understand Bones ?

 

Find some Russians. 

 

Real Russians.

 

From the Rodina.