Deboned grilled whole chicken

Pull the wing tips straight out, find the seam of white cartilage and slice through it.

Bend the flat of the wing back and forth to find the line at the drumette and slice through the joint.

Remove the chicken's butt.

Lay the chicken face down and make two deep cuts through skin and meat either side of the spine.

Grab both thighs and bend them backwards and toward each other to pop the thigh bones out of their sockets.

Cut under the oyster, deepen the cuts along the spine and continue along the hip bone to the thigh joint, then slice through the white cartilage and pull the thigh free of the carcass; repeat on the other side.

Trace the knife against the shoulder bone to the front of the breast, slice down through the V where the wing and shoulder bones meet and cut the cartilage so the wing stays on the breast.

Trace around the wishbone at the edge of the breasts, expose it and twist it off the breast bone with the fingers.

Trace around the rib cage with fingers and knife, keeping the blade flat to the bone, to lift the breast with the tender attached; cut or pull through the white cartilage between the breasts.

Debone the thighs: slice either side of the thigh bone, scrape underneath, poke a finger through and cut the meat at the knuckle.

Debone the drumstick: cut down the centre to the bone, cut either side and cut the meat at the tip.

Work around the knee joint with small cuts, rotating it, then lay it on the board and slice through the last meat to remove the thigh bone.

Trim off excess skin, tuck the loose chicken tenders into the gap between breast and thigh, and butterfly and score a large breast so it flattens and the marinade penetrates.

Blend the onions, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, black pepper, chilli powder, salt and white vinegar about a minute, until all the onion is broken down.

Put a chicken in a bowl, pour over about half the marinade and massage it into all the skin and meat, adding the wings too; repeat with the second chicken and the rest.

Marinate at least one hour, better three and up to twelve.

Variation: blend the second marinade the same way from onions, garlic, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, chilli flakes and pomegranate molasses, and marinate as long.

Lift the chicken out and scrape off as much excess marinade as possible with the hands.

Lay the chicken flat in the grilling basket or on a cooling rack, putting any loose pieces back in place, close the cage and flip it over.

Grill under a broiler at its highest setting, 240 degrees Celsius, with the shelf at the top, about 8 to 10 minutes on the underside.

Turn skin side up and cook a further 6 minutes or so until the skin browns and bubbles; check the temperature with a thermometer.

On a charcoal or gas grill it takes about 12 minutes or less in total.

Lift the chicken out of the basket straight onto a piece of flatbread so it soaks up the juices.