Early Preparation

1. Remove the wishbone from the turkey before you cook it, which makes carving easier. Cut through the membrane above the Y-shaped bone beneath the breast, and pull the bone forward through the cavity with your fingers. Because an electric knife is better equipped for lateral cuts than precision work, you might want to use a simple chef’s knife to access the inner recesses of the raw bird. Wash any knife you do use with soap and hot water before using it to cut the cooked bird.

2. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes after you remove it from the oven for a moist, juicy bird and to allow it to cool sufficiently to handle comfortably.

3. Place the cooked turkey breast-side up on a chopping board within a rimmed sheet pan to catch any juices.

Legs First

1. Remove the legs first by pulling the thigh joint away from the bird and cutting down through the thin skin above the joint. The blade should not meet any significant resistance, so reposition it until you can make an effortless cut.

2. Hold the end of the drumstick with your free hand and pull away the entire leg joint from the body cavity. It should separate easily. Look out for the oyster, the soft, tender morsel of meat just above the thigh joint, which is one of the choicest portions of meat on the bird..

3. Pull the drumstick out of the joint to remove it from the thigh, making small cuts if necessary to free it; usually a little wrenching with the fingers is sufficient.

4. Hold the drumstick end with your free hand and place it upright on the chopping board, with the bulbous end resting on the board. Cut downwards to slice away the main meat sections, leaving the bone and tendons to make stock, or leave the drumstick whole if you prefer.

5. Lay the substantial thigh meat section flat on the chopping board, skin-side up, and slice parallel to the bone, running along its length into ½-inch pieces, adding them to a platter along with the drumsticks. Some chefs prefer to remove the skin before cutting for a better view. Repeat the process for the thigh joint on the other side of the bird.

Breast Meat

1. Carve the breast meat directly off the bird, a particularly impressive flourish when you carve at the table, by placing the blade lengthwise along the backbone and cutting downward on either side. Next, place the blade parallel to the chopping board and cut toward the backbone. Each slice should fall away by itself as it reaches the first cut; because the knife is cutting against the grain of the meat, the meat is more tender.

2. Separate the entire breast meat section in one piece for an alternative approach, particularly if you are carving away from the table. Cut down the breast bone and pull the breast half away with your fingers.

3. Lay the breast portion flat on the chopping board and cut across its width to make medallion-shaped sections.