Turkeys should be carefully trussed. The wings and thighs should be
brought close to the body and kept in position by skewers. The ends of
the drumsticks may be drawn into the body or crossed over the tail and
tied firmly.
After cooking, free the ends of the drumsticks from the body and trim
them with a paper ruffle. This will enable the carver to touch them if
necessary without soiling his hands. Place the turkey on the platter
with the head at the left. Unless the platter be very large, provide an
extra dish, also a fork for serving.
Insert the carving-fork across the middle of the breast-bone. Cut
through the skin between the breast and the thigh. Bend the leg over,
and cut off close to the body and through the joint. Cut through the top
of the shoulder down through the wing-joint. Shave off the breast in
thin slices, slanting from the front of the breast-bone down toward the
wing-joint.
If the family be small and the turkey is to be served for a second
dinner, carve only from the side nearest you. Tip the bird over
slightly, and with the point of the knife remove the oyster and the
small dark portion found on the side-bone. Then remove the fork from the
breast and divide the leg and wing. Cut through the skin between the
body and breast, and with a spoon remove a portion of the stuffing.
Serve light or dark meat and stuffing, as preferred. If carved in this
way, the turkey will be left with one half entire, and if placed on a
clean platter with the cut side nearest the carver, and garnished with
parsley, will present nearly as fine an appearance, to all but the
carver, as when first served.
When there are many to be served, take off the leg and wing from each
side and slice the whole of the breast before removing the fork; then
divide as required.
It is not often necessary to cut up the whole body of the turkey; but
where every scrap of the meat will be needed, or you wish to exercise
your skill, proceed to carve in this manner.
Put the fork in firmly across the middle of the breast-bone. Cut through
the skin between the leg and body. Bend the leg over and cut off at the
joint. If the turkey be very tender or overcooked, the side-bone will
separate from the back and come away with the second joint, making it
more difficult to separate the thigh from the side-bone. Cut through the
top of the shoulder and separate the wing at the joint. Cut off the leg
and wing from the other side. Carve the breast on each side, in thin
slices, slanting slightly toward the wing. Be careful to take a portion
of crisp outside with each slice. Shave off the crisp skin near the
neck, in order to reach the stuffing. Insert the point of the knife at
the front of the breast-bone, turn back the wish-bone and separate it.
Cut through the cartilage on each side, separating the collar-bones from
the breast. Tip the body slightly over and slip the knife under the end
of the shoulder-blade; turn it over toward the wing. Repeat this process
on the opposite side. Cut through the cartilage which divides the ribs,
separating the breast-bone from the back. Lay the breast one side and
remove the fork from it. Take the stuffing from the back. Turn the back
over, place the knife midway just below the ribs, and with the fork lift
up the tail end, separating the back from the body. Place the fork in
the middle of the backbone, and cut close to the backbone from one end
to the other, on each side, freeing the side-bone. Then divide the legs
and wings at the joints. The joint in the leg is not quite in the middle
of the bend, but a trifle nearer the thigh. It requires some practice to
strike these joints in the right spot. Cut off the meat from each side
of the bone in the second joint and leg, as these when large are more
than one person requires, and it is inconvenient to have so large bones
on one’s plate.
It is easier to finish the carving before beginning to serve. An expert
carver will have the whole bird disjointed and literally in pieces with
a very few strokes of the knife.