You’ve spent hours planning & preparing for your Thanksgiving turkey, and now you have this beautifully cooked bird, and have no idea what to do with it.  Here are 4 easy steps to get you carving that turkey like a pro!

Before you start – Let the cooked turkey rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to redistribute juices, which will guarantee moist delicious slices.

Step 1 – Place the turkey on a cutting board set in a rimmed baking sheet to catch the excess juices.  Using a sharp knife, remove the leg and thigh by slicing down through the sking that connects the drumstick and the breast until you reach the hip joint.  Cut through the join to release the lef from the turkey.  Repeat with the other leg.

Step 2 – Separate a drumstick from its thigh by cutting through the joint – you can find it by moving the drumstick back & forth.  Place the drumstick on a platter.  Remove the thigh bone by running your knife alongside and underneath the bone.  Repeat on the other side.  Set thighs aside to carve later.

Step 3 – Remove a breast and wing by slicing carefully along one side of the breastbone, keeping the knife as close to the bone as possible.  Follow the rib cage all the way down and around until you reach the joint where the wing is attached.  Cut through the joint to release the breast and wing in one piece.  Repeat with the other breast.

Step 4 – Separate the wing from the breast by cutting through the joint.  Using a carving knife or other sharp knife, slice the breast and thigh meat.  Arrange the turkey on a platter and garnish with fresh herbs & citrus, if desired.

I am a visual person, so reading the above wouldn’t help me out at all, without actually seeing it done…if you are like me, check out the video on how to carve a turkey posted by Woman’s Day Magazine.

Use these tips to create a turkey dinner that your guests will “gobble” up!

:: At the store

When shopping for a turkey, consider the number of guests you will be having for dinner.  You will need about 1/2 pound of turkey per adult dinner guest (go with a pound per person if you want leftovers or if you do 2 rounds on the same night).  Expecting more than 30 people for your Thanksgiving feast?  Consider buying 2 smaller birds, or a whole turkey and one or two additional turkey breasts to cut down on your overall cooking time.

:: To thaw

Place the frozen turkey, in its original packaging, on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any juices that may leak) and put it in the refrigerator.  Plan on 5 hours of defrosting per pound of turkey – so a 18 pound bird would need to be defrosted for about 4 days.

If you are short on time, or refrigerator space, try a cold water bath.  Place the packaged turkey in a large pot or 5 gallon bucket, breast side down.  Then place the bucket o’ turkey in the bathtub or a laundry basin and run cold water into it.  Once the bucket is full, turn the cold water down to a trickle.  The constant motion of the water will speed up the thawing process more so than leaving the turkey in standing water.  This defrosting method takes approximately 30 minutes per pound – so the same 18 pound turkey would be defrosted in 9 hours.

:: Brine your bird

A brine adds moisture and flavor to poultry and helps to keep it from drying out. A turkey can be a serious investment in time, so you want to make sure it is perfect, especially if you’re entertaining. Whether you grill, smoke, fry, or roast your turkey, you should use a brined bird.  The trick to brining a bird is to make sure you use the proper ratio of water : salt : sugar.  Even with more than 1/2 a cup of salt in the brine, your turkey will not be salty!  If this is your first time brining a turkey, check out Alton Brown’s recipe on Food Network.

:: While roasting

In my opinion, even more important than brining your turkey is cooking it just until it is done.  So many places tell you to cook a turkey for 15 minutes per pound for an unstuffed bird, and 20 minutes per pound for a stuffed bird when roasting at 350.  Instead of cooking your turkey for an aloted amount of time, cook it until the proper temperature.  My method of choice is using a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (Not all probe thermometers are meant to stay in the turkey while you are roasting it.  Don’t ruin the bird by using a thermometer that is not oven safe).  Set your thermometer to alert you when the turkey reaches approximately 165 degrees.  Then check the other turkey thigh to make sure it is really cooked all the way through.  If you have stuffing in your turkey, it should also reach 165 degrees to be safe from being in the raw turkey.  If everything is at temperature, take the turkey out of the oven, tent it with some foil, and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, everyone is talking turkey!

Here are some hotlines to help get you through the Thanksgiving season:

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line
800-288-8372
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010, this line goes live November 1 and is manned by 50 professionally trained turkey experts!
Weekdays 8am-8pm CT
Weekends 8am-6pm CT
Thanksgiving Day 6am-6pm CT

Shady Brook Farms Turkey Line
888-723-4468
You won’t be able to get a live person on the line, but this hotline offers prerecorded messages that run the gamut – from buying to thawing to carving.  It’s available 24 hours a day, for those of you who are counting turkey (not sheep) in your sleep.

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline
800-535-4555
If you’re looking for information on how to safely handle, prepare, and store your turkey, call this number which is staffed by food safety specialists.
Weekdays 10am-4pm ET
Thanksgiving 8am-2pm ET