The holidays are a great time for
practicing your cooking skills. One skill that's especially helpful is carving chicken and turkey.
To carve roasted poultry
you need a long sharp knife,
such as a carving or a large chef's knife, a fork, a cutting board, and a dish or plate for the pieces.
Kitchen shears can also be helpful for carving.
A cutting board with a groove around the edge can help catch the juices. If your cutting board slips,
put a damp dish cloth or paper towel underneath it.
Move the bird to a cutting board and set it breast side up with the legs pointing towards you.
Remove the string around the legs if there is one.
Remove the leg first by cutting down along the side of the body by the leg to where the bones meet at the joint.
Do not try to cut through the bone.
It helps to pull the piece away from the body of the bird to help find the joint.
Separate the joint and remove the leg piece.
[Then] repeat on the other side.
Do the same thing for the wings. Guide the knife along the side of the body by the wing,
finding the place where the bones meet and separate the joint.
Using kitchen shears can also help separate the joint.
Now remove the breast pieces.
Using a fork to hold the bird steady,
run the knife through the middle of the bird at the breastbone and cut on a diagonal,
following along the ribcage of the bird to remove one piece.
Repeat for the other side.
To separate the drumsticks from the thighs, cut at the joint while pulling one of the pieces away.
Finally, slice the breast by cutting diagonally against the grain. This will help keep it tender.
Purchasing a whole bird instead of cuts, is an
economical way to buy poultry. Any extra meat you don't use right away can be packaged and
refrigerated or frozen for later.
The leftover body can be used to make stock, soups, and stews.
To learn how to cook a whole bird, watch North Carolina EFNEP's video on how to roast a chicken.
Roasting and carving poultry is a budget friendly and crowd pleasing way to cook smart and eat smart,
especially during the holidays.
