Chicken Suprême

Removed from the whole bird carcass as an unseparated breast-and-wing unit. The breast is cut away from the sternum and keel bone, the wishbone is removed first for cleaner separation, and the wing is kept connected at the shoulder joint while the outer two wing segments are discarded. The resulting piece includes the entire pectoralis major muscle with skin draped over it and a short frenched bone protruding from the thickest end.

1. 1STEP 1 — Remove wishbone: locate the wishbone (furcula) at the neck end of the breast; score along both arms with a paring knife, hook with a finger, and pull free. This allows the breast to separate cleanly.
2. 2STEP 2 — Cut from carcass: lay bird breast-side up, cut down one side of the sternum with a boning knife, following the keel bone closely. When the wing joint is reached, dislocate the shoulder socket and cut through the joint to keep the humerus attached.
3. 3STEP 3 — Remove the two outer wing segments: find the elbow joint (between humerus and radius/ulna), dislocate and cut through it cleanly. Discard or reserve the wing tip for stock.
4. 4STEP 4 — French the bone: use a small paring knife to scrape the humerus clean from the elbow end toward the shoulder, pushing meat and skin back toward the breast. Expose 3–4 cm of clean bone.
5. 5STEP 5 — Trim: remove any stray cartilage, pull the skin to cover the breast evenly, and tuck the tapered tenderloin underneath the breast for a more uniform thickness.
6. 6COOK: season generously under the skin. Sear skin-side down in a hot oven-safe pan with clarified butter or oil for 4–5 minutes until deeply golden; turn, add whole butter and aromatics, baste, and finish in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10–14 minutes to 65–68°C (149–155°F) internal temperature. Rest 5 minutes before plating.

• Remove the wishbone before all other butchery — this single step makes the entire suprême easier to cut free and carve later
• Keep the skin fully attached and smooth over the breast before cooking — tears or detached edges allow steam to escape and the skin to shrink unevenly
• Pat completely dry 30 minutes before cooking — moisture on the skin prevents crisping
• If making Chicken Kiev, butterfly the breast by cutting a deep horizontal pocket before stuffing and breading

• Skin-on boneless chicken breast

  Lacks the frenched bone presentation but is functionally identical in cooking behavior

• Guinea fowl suprême

  Direct classical substitute in French haute cuisine; slightly gamier and more prized

• Duck breast (magret)

  Similar pan-sear-to-oven technique; far higher fat cap; not a straight swap in composition

• Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)

  Same muscle without the skin or bone — lower luxury tier, different cooking behavior

• Poultry Breakdown — 8-Piece & 10-Piece

  Suprême is the premium alternative to standard breast halving in the cut-up

• Duck Breast (Magret)

  Analogous prestige cut from duck; same pan-sear-to-oven cooking logic

1. 1.Auguste Escoffier — Le Guide Culinaire (translated by H.L. Cracknell & R.J. Kaufmann)
2. 2.Jacques Pépin — La Technique
3. 3.The Culinary Institute of America — The Professional Chef (9th ed.)
4. 4.Michel Roux Jr. — The French Kitchen

Confidence: high