CARVING YOUR HOLIDAY TURKEY GIVE THE TURKEY A REST After you’ve pulled the turkey from the oven, don’t slice into it right away. Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute within the meat, which means when you carve it the juice will stay in the turkey and not run all over the cutting board. off the Legs and Thighs 1 Slice To do this, slice through the skin between the leg
and the breast. Then pull back on the leg, laying it flat outward, and push up on the joint from underneath. You may hear a slight pop. At that point, use your knife to cut around the joint and remove the leg and thigh completely. Repeat this process on the other side and set these pieces aside.
the Breasts 2 Remove Slice down the center of the breastbone (Keel Bone).
That is the bone in between the breasts on the top of the turkey. Once you do that it is easy to find the spot where the breast and the keel separate--Take the tip of your knife and run it down between the bone and the breast and the breast will come off easily. Repeat this process on the other side and set the breasts aside.
3
Remove the Wings Gently pull the wings away from the body and slice through the joint to remove it. You can remove the wing tips (there’s really no meat here), and they’re great for stocks. Then set the wings aside.
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Separate the Drumstick from the Thigh 4 Now that all the meat is removed from the turkey, flip what is left of the turkey so it is skin side down and you can see the natural separation between the drumstick and the thigh. Slice through the meat and gently pull pack on the drumstick to expose the joint, then slice through it. You’ll have two pieces, the drumstick, and the thigh.
the bone from the Thigh 5 Remove Turn the thigh skin side down so you can see the joint more easily. Use your knife to slice around the thigh bone, preserving as much meat as possible. Save the bone for stock.
up the Meat 6 Slice Always slice against the grain for tender pieces of
meat. And use a very sharp knife to keep the skin attached to each piece. Presenting your Carved Turkey Once all your meat is sliced up, you can arrange it on a platter. This is where you can get creative. You can arrange it any way you like and add any garnishes to make it more beautiful to present to your guests. Serve It Right Away The turkey is the last thing to set on the table, after all, it is the center of attention! Make sure all your side dishes, salads, sauces, and other goodies are cooked, on the table, and ready to be enjoyed as the turkey cools down quickly.
