From Zero to Hero: How to Carve a Turkey

Is there a better holiday than Thanksgiving? Food, family and football make this my favorite time of year. Below are some tips for your Thanksgiving turkey:

Don't be fooled into thinking you can purchase a fresher bird the day before Thanksgiving. All turkeys are vacuum-sealed so a turkey purchased on Saturday will be just as fresh. If you have the room to keep your turkey it is best to buy it a little early to get one that has been handled less. You can buy your turkey a week ahead and keep it in the back of your refrigerator until you are ready to use it (but make sure the vacuum seal is tight around the turkey).

The rule of thumb for the size of the turkey is 6 to 7 pounds more than the number of people you are serving to have enough white meat to go around.

To pick a more tender turkey you should look for a bird with a broad breast and thick legs.

Use two knives for carving: a 6-7 inch knife for taking the turkey apart and a 10-12 inch knife for slicing the bigger pieces of meat.

Hope you find these tips useful, and from my family at Fairway to yours at home, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Best Regards,

Dan Glickberg
Fairway Market

P.S. For another look at Ray's expertise in turkey carving, visit the New York Times Web site.

Category:

Howto & Style

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• Fairway
• market
• turkey
• carve
• carving
• meat
• thanksgiving