How to Carve a Turkey Video Tutorial
Learn how to easily carve a turkey for Thanksgiving with a step-by-step video tutorial!
Equipment
- Carving Knife
- Carving Fork
- Carving cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 cooked turkey
- 2 large oranges, sliced
- 1 cup cranberries, or other berries
- bunch of fresh rosemary and thyme
- decorative greens, optional
- small apples or persimmons
Instructions
- Allow the turkey to rest for 20 to 30 minutes prior to carving. The turkey will be extremely hot immediately out of the oven! Be extra careful!
- Using two large lifting forks, lift the turkey out of its roasting pan and onto a carving board. Cut away the twine, if needed.
- Using a sharp knife, begin with the drumsticks and thighs, which are attached together. Cut the drumstick away from the body and gently pull the drumstick away and down. A well cooked turkey will come apart very easily! Turn the drumstick down and find the thigh joint, cutting and pulling the thigh away.
- Separate the drumstick and thigh along the natural joint, then use a paring knife to cut away the bone from the thigh, keeping it as whole as possible. Serve the drumstick whole and slice the thigh into bite sized pieces.
- Slice off the turkey breast next, starting from the top and allow your knife to be guided by the breast bone. Slice the breast into bite-sized pieces and keep the skin intact by gently holding it in place. Pull away the turkey wings last; these are also composed of two pieces - the wing and the little drumstick. Separate the two and serve them whole.
- Arrange the freshly carved turkey on a large platter. Arrange the larger pieces, like the sliced turkey breast and drumsticks on the top, over any smaller cuts of turkey. I like to garnish the turkey with orange segments, fresh berries or cranberries and greenery. You can use fresh herbs or decorative greens. Small, bite sized apples are also a great addition to the platter!