Happy Carving

Novice and experienced carvers alike will find these tips helpful:

CARVING THE DRUMSTICK AND THIGH

Pull each leg away from turkey body, exposing the top of the thigh bone. Sever the thigh bone with a knife. Then cut the meat away from the body by following the contour of the lower torso carefully with the knife.

On a cutting board, separate drumstick and thigh by cutting through the connecting joint.

The knuckle bone at the thin end of the drumstick should be toward you.

Grasp it and begin making parallel slices through the tendons.

To slice the thigh, cut slices evenly and parallel to the bone.

CARVING THE TURKEY BREAST

At the Table
You will be cutting on the side of the turkey that is facing the crowd, not facing you.

Make a long deep horizontal cut (parallel to the table surface) at the bottom of the breast, as close to the wing as possible, going all the way to the bone. All of the vertical cuts will meet this horizontal line. If your cuts have been clean, the meat should detach.

Keep slices as thin and even as possible.

Back in the Kitchen
The bone at the top that separates the two halves of the turkey breast is called the "keel" --just like on a boat.

Remove each half by cutting along the keel bone and feeling your way around the rib cage lying underneath. Use a long sharp knife and some patience. Be careful!

Once you have removed the breast meat from the carcass, place it on a cutting board and slice away.

A Philadelphia-based freelance writer, F.C. Mogul has written for TIME magazine, THE NEW YORK TIMES and other publications.

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