How to Carve a Turkey

Ready to carve your holiday turkey, but afraid you’ll make a mess of it? Just follow these simple step, and you’ll end up with the kind of turkey platter that makes guests oh and ah.

What You’ll Need:

A chef’s knife
A large cutting board
A serving platter

What You Do:

Allow your turkey to cool for 15-30 minutes, so the juices have a chance to redistribute. Then, place it on a large cutting board.

Remove the built-in thermometer and the plastic clip or twine that’s holding the legs together.

Use a chef’s knife to remove the legs and thighs. Just cut behind the drumstick and all the way through the joint.

Now remove the wings. You’ll need to cut through the joint to separate it from the rest of your turkey.

Locate the breast bone at the top center of your bird. Then, rest your knife on one side of the bone, and cut down. Use your hands (or a pair of tongs) to pull the meat away from the bone. The breast should lift off in one piece. Repeat the process on the other side to remove the second breast.

Here’s what you should have at this point.

Separate the drumsticks from the thighs by cutting through the joint that connects the two.

Then, separate the thigh meat from the bone, and slice it up.

Now, slice your breast meat. Be sure to cut against the grain, so it’s as tender as possible.

Plate everything up on a large serving platter, and your Thanksgiving turkey is ready to serve!

Pick the remaining turkey off the carcass, and save it for sandwiches or soup. This turkey salad recipe is a great use for all the little leftover bits.

Once, you have the bones picked clean, use them to make a batch of turkey broth. If you don’t want to do this right away, just refrigerate or freeze the bones, until you have more time. Expect to get eight pints of broth (or more) from the average 15 pound bird.