My three simple rules for carving a turkey:
1. Always work with your knife against the bone to get the cleanest, meatiest cuts and to avoid leaving any meat on the bone.
2. Rather than using a carving fork to stabilize the turkey, grab the bird with your left hand (assuming you’re right-handed) to help you find the natural separations in the meat as you carve.
3. Present the turkey to your guests, then take it back to an obscure corner of your kitchen where no one can watch you struggle and sweat.
With that in mind, follow my steps.
First, let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil, for about an hour before you carve it.
On both sides, cut through the skin that separates the breast from the leg. Twist off the wings.
With your finger, feel the breastbone that runs through the center of the turkey. Notice three quarters of the way down where the bone seems to curve off on both sides. This is the wishbone. With a sharp chef’s knife with a sharp tip, make a cut at the top of the breast bone about two inches deep. With your knife hugging the breast bone, make a straight cut all the way across until you hit the wishbone. Cut along the wishbone. Using a little pressure with your left hand, pull the breast away from the bone. Cut through the wing joint. Remove the breast from the bone and set aside.
Repeat on the other side. Flip the breast over and remove the tongue-shaped tenderloin from inside the breast. Set aside.
To remove the leg, use your left hand and gently pry the meat away from the carcass. With your knife, find the straight line of skin that separates the thigh from the back and cut the leg off the back. Flip the leg over and find the straight line of fat that separates the drumstick and the thigh. Cut through this line of fat, cutting through the leg joint as well.
You may arrange and serve the turkey at this point, or remove the meat from the bones.
Remove the thigh bone with the edge of your knife. Remove any of the bright white inedible cartilage and knuckle bones. Cut the thigh in half vertically.
With small cuts using the tip of your knife, cut the meat in one piece off the drumstick. Remove the sharp pinbone attached to the drumstick and any knuckle and cartilage as well.
Flip the turkey over. Remove the two roundish pieces of meat from the hollow of bone on the underside of the thigh. Those delicious morsels are your reward for tackling this awkward beast.
With a carving knife (I’m big fan of the electric ones), slice the breast into 1/3-inch slices with skin attached where possible. Repeat with the leg and thigh. Warm the meat covered with foil in a 400 degree oven. Check the meat for seasoning (it might need a touch of salt and pepper) and serve.
John Broening cooks at Duo Restaurant, .
