There are many ways to carve and serve a turkey!
Shown below are two popular methods.
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Place turkey on a large warm serving platter. Allow 20 to 30 minutes “resting time” before it is to be carved. This gives the meat a chance to absorb the juices. It will carve easier, and it allows you time to make gravy.
STANDARD STYLE
1 – TO REMOVE LEG
(drumstick and thigh) Hold the drumstick firmly with your fingers, pulling gently away from turkey body. At the same time, cut through the skin between the leg and body. Continue as follows:
2 – PRESS LEG AWAY FROM BODY WITH FLAT SIDE OF KNIFE.
Then cut through the joint joining the leg to the backbone and skin on the back. Hold leg on service plate with drumstick at a convenient angle to plate — separate drumstick and thigh by cutting down through the joint to the plate.
3 – SLICE DRUMSTICK MEAT.
Hold drumstick upright at a convenient angle to plate and cut down, turning drumstick to get uniform slices. Drumsticks and thighs from smaller turkeys are usually served without slicing.
4 – SLICE THIGH MEAT.
Hold thigh firmly on a plate with a fork — cut slices of meat parallel to the bone.
5 – CUT INTO WHITE MEAT PARALLEL TO WING.
Make a cut deep into the breast to the body frame parallel to and as close to the wing as possible.
6 – SLICE WHITE MEAT.
Beginning at the front, starting halfway up the breast, cut thin slices of white meat down to the cut made parallel to the wing. The slices will fall away from the turkey as they are cut to this line. Continue carving until enough meat has been carved for the first servings. Additional turkey may be carved as needed.
SIDE STYLE
1 – REMOVE THE WING TIP AND FIRST JOINT.
Grasp the wing tip firmly with fingers, lift up, and cut between first and second joint. Place the wing tip and first joint portion on the side of the platter. Leave the second joint attached to the turkey.
2 – REMOVE THE DRUMSTICK.
Grasp the end of the drumstick and lift it up and away from the body, disjointing it from the thigh. The thigh is left attached to the turkey. Place the drumstick on the service plate for slicing the meat. Hold the drumstick upright at a convenient angle and cut down toward the plate, parallel with the bone, turning the drumstick to make uniform slices.
3 – REMOVING THE THIGH BONE.
Anchoring the fork where it is most convenient to steady the turkey, cut slices of thigh meat parallel to the body until the bone is reached. Run the point of the knife around the thigh bone, lift up with the fork, and use fork or fingers to remove the bone. Then slice the remaining thigh meat.
4 – SLICING WHITE MEAT.
Begin at the front end of the turkey and slice until the wing socket is exposed. Remove the second joint of the wing. Continue slicing white meat until enough slices have been provided, or until the breastbone is reached.
5 – REMOVING STUFFING FROM HOLE CUT INTO CAVITY UNDER THIGH.
Slit the thin tissue in the thigh region with the tip of the knife and make an opening large enough for a serving spoon.