How to carve poultry perfectly

Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn't be complete without a slice of succulent turkey. But there is an art to carving poultry. Follow these basic guidelines so you can be a master poultry carver at your next family gathering.

Small birds can simply be cut into halves or quarters for serving, but larger ones need more expert treatment to separate drumsticks, thighs and wings and to carve neat slices of meat. Aim to give each person some white breast meat and some dark meat.

You will need:

• Sharpened carving knife.
• two-pronged carving fork.
• carving board.
• large warmed side plate.

Removing the wishbone

All poultry is easier to carve if the wishbone is removed before cooking.

• Put the bird breast side up on a chopping board; pull back the skin from the neck and breast until you find the V-shaped wishbone.
• Expose the bone fully and cut around it with a small sharp knife until you can pull it away.
• If the wishbone wasn't taken out before cooking, you can use a similar procedure on a cooked bird before carving.

Carving poultry

Follow these steps whether you're carving a chicken, duck, goose or a small turkey.

• Place the bird on its side, lift the leg up with the fork and cut under the thigh.
• Cut through the joint to separate the drumstick from the thigh.
• Slice through the breast halfway across the shoulder and cut away the shoulder, wing and a strip of breast.
• Carve the rest of the breast into slices, starting at the wing end or, if it's small, cut it away in one piece and serve whole or carve on the board.

Carving turkey

A large turkey (bigger than 4.5 kilograms/nine pounds) is unwieldy for moving and turning on the board, as you do when carving a chicken, so stand it firmly on the board and carve it in one position.

• Undo any string that's trussing the bird together. Cut between the body and the thigh on each side, cutting all around the leg and through the sinews that are holding it in place.
• Separate the legs from the body and carve on another board or the side of your main board. Cut at an angle parallel with the bone to make small slices of dark leg meat.
• Cut through the breast and down into and through the shoulder joints to remove the wings.
• Carve thin slices of breast meat, using the back of your fork to support the slices. Try not to make holes in the meat with the fork prongs.

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