CARVING YOUR MEAT

Smaller game birds are often served whole or halved. The same basic techniques for
carving apply to chicken and most other birds as follows:
• Remove the legs.
• Remove the wings.
• Carve the meat from the breast, slicing downwards, with the knife running parallel to the bird.
• Remove any remaining meat from the carcass, including the oysters – the nugget of flesh either side of the bird on the underside – by hand. The technique of carving the breast meat can vary to accommodate the size and shape of the bird, as follows:

Duck
Remove the legs and wings and slice the meat from the neck end. Slice close to the breastbone and loosen the breast meat before carving the first slice. Holding the knife at a 45-degree angle, cut the remaining breast meat parallel to the first slice.

Goose
Remove the legs and wings and slice the meat from the neck end. Carve long, thick slices of meat along the length of the breast, holding the knife almost flat against the meat.

Turkey
Remove the wings and legs. Carve the dark meat from the legs, holding the knuckle end of the leg and cutting downwards. Carve the breast into thick slices downwards from the fattest part of the breast on either side of the breastbone.