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How to carve the Christmas turkey

You've bought the best bird in the shop, carefully calculated the cooking time and now, basted and browned, it stands proudly before you, ready to carve and serve. Now what?

The most important thing to remember when carving a turkey (or any joint of meat, for that matter) is to let it rest after cooking. A large turkey will sit happily for 30 minutes in a warm place, covered with foil. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat, not only making it moist but easier to carve as well.

• The knife
• The carving surface
• Step-by-step carving
• A final tip

The knife
The second most important element of carving is, not surprisingly, the knife. It should be large, sharp and heavy enough to do the job; it's no good going at it with a small paring knife if you expect smooth, elegant slices.

Electric knives were fashionable for a while and come in handy if you have large quantities of meat to carve but they can be noisy and somewhat clumsy, especially for carving at the table. They are better for carving cold meat as they won't give you thin, tidy slices, especially when the bird is hot.

You will also need a fork to help guide the knife through the slices and for handing them on to the plates. If you have a carving fork, fine, if not a large dinner fork will do.

Use the fork as a GUIDE, not as a skewering device. Don't stab the meat with the tines, rather use the backside of the fork, avoiding puncturing the meat and making it look untidy. This is especially important when carving the breast.

The carving surface
Next, the carving surface. The platter or board should be large enough to comfortably accommodate the turkey and as flat as possible. It should sit firmly on the surface; if the table or counter is slippery place a folded napkin or cloth mat underneath to keep it from moving about.

And while it may look attractive to surround the bird with roasted potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, and so on, they will only get in the way, making the carving difficult and messy. Better that the vegetables have their own serving dishes which can be passed around while the carving is going on, saving time and letting people choose for themselves.

And finally, try and resist the novice approach by slicing the crown of the breast first. It may make you look like a TV chef but it's better to start with the legs and thighs, leaving the breast meat for last.

Meat off the bone will cool faster than meat on the bone. If you are carving onto a serving plate to be handed round, make sure it is warm (but not too hot to touch) and that you give a good selection of both light and dark meat.

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