How to Carve a Turkey

Knowing how to carve a turkey is key to a festive North American holiday dinner.

Whether you are cooking Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas turkey, or any day turkey, it's the turkey carving that befuddles many of us.

Here are a few simple steps to properly carving that delicious bird.

1. Use both a carving knife and fork to hold the turkey steady or hold it steady with your hand as you cut. If using a fork, put the fork into a fleshy part of the bird to stabilize it. Use the knife to cut the leg/thigh portion off the bird. Twist with your hand if necessary to disconnect bone.

2. Cut thigh from drumstick at the joint, again twisting with your hands to disconnect if you need to.

3. Insert the fork into the thick part of the dark meat and use the knife to slice the dark meat from legs and thighs.

4. Cut off wings using the method outlined for legs in point 1.

5. With the tip of the knife toward the body cavity, carve the breast meat thinly, using a back and forth movement of the knife. Gradually angle the knife to slice into the thicker part of the breast.

6. Continue to slice thin slices of breast meat from the turkey.