How To Carve A Turkey
- Yield 1
- Prep 15 minutes
- Total 15 minutes
How To Carve A Turkey is a dinner recipe on Avoteb. The yield on the card is 1. Plan on 15 minutes from start to plate. The amounts and the method are both on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 1 servings
- 1 cooked whole turkey
- optional garnishes: fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley and/or bay leaves), citrus wedges (lemon or oranges), fresh cranberries
Method
Lift the legs and thighs. Set the turkey breast-side up on the cutting board. Using your knife, cut along the natural line where the leg/thigh meets the body. Pull the leg outward to expose the joint, then cut through the joint to separate the leg and thigh from the body. Repeat on the other side. (Tip: Always look for the joints — you should never need to cut through bone.)
Lift the wings. Slice along the natural line where the wing meets the body while gently pulling the wing outward to reveal the joint. Take your knife (or kitchen shears) to cut through the joint where the wing meets the body. If desired, trim off the end of each wing for a cleaner presentation. Set wings aside for serving.
Carve the breast meat. Find the breastbone in the center and make a long vertical cut down one side of it, slicing along the rib cage to free one breast half from the carcass, ideally in one big piece. Set that breast piece skin-side up on the board. Slice across the grain (horizontal slices) at about ¼-inch thickness or as desired. Repeat on the other breast: cut along the breastbone to remove it, then lay flat and slice. Lay out the slices on the serving platter.
Separate the thigh from the drumstick. Lay each leg-and-thigh piece skin-side down (or whichever way is comfortable). Feel for the joint between the thigh and the drumstick. Slice through the joint to separate them. For the thigh, slice the meat parallel to the bone for neat pieces. The drumstick can be served whole or you can carve the meat off the bone.
Lay slices of breast meat neatly, overlapping slightly. Set thighs, drumsticks, and wings around or beside the breast slices. Spoon with pan juices or gravy, if desired. Tip in any garnishes you like, then serve and enjoy!
