Middletown transcript., 1909-12-18
HINTS FOR THE CARVER

The first essential in carving, iudee
the very foundation OF all good work i
this respect, is knowledge Of the relativ
position OF bones, joints, fat and muscles
Il is an easy matter to cut straight ant
neatly a solid mass Of meat, but it is quit
another thing to carve scientifically
roast lowI or game with the bones still IL
place. So the first thing TO be mastered
is the anatomy OF the joint or bird, anC
to thoroughly understand the direction
10 which the muscular fibres run. WheI
this is accomplished more than half th;
work Of carving is done.
A cool head, control of ones temper, q
sharp knife, seat Of the right height,
plenty OF room, and dish Of sufficient
siEs are q secondary importance, but all
very necessary to rapid aud graceful cary.
ing.
The knife, q most important element in
good carving, should always be well sharp
ened on steel before being brought to
table-snd it is good economy 10 have
special knives for different meats. Use a
long, broad-hladed knife for roast beef
and all large joints. For poultry and
small joints smaller narrow baded knife
should be used.
To Carve Roast Turkey
Place tie fork in the breast OF the
turkey, one prong being on each side OF
the bone. Grasp the handle OF the fork
with the left hand, and laying the fat
Of the knife (held in the right handy
parallel with, and close to, the neck, just
above where the left wing joins the body ;
cut downward, reaching the joint. A
slight pressure sewers the cartilage, and a
single sweep OF the kuife removes the
wing.
To remove the left leg aud second joint
put the knife into the flesh which holds
the second j,int, cut downward to the
point where the second joint joins the
caTcase. Place the knife between the leg
AMI the carcass, and make a downward
sweep. A gentle pressure with the point
of the knife will cause the leg and second
joint to drop off, The breast should then
be sliced, the slices running parallel with
the breast and being cut wide and
long and not too thin.
Next cut out the oyster-bone by placing
the Fat of the knife against the vertebrae
connecting the "Pope's nose" with the
carcass, aud press tile edge Of the knife
in the direction of the birds neck, then
turn the blade, aud the leverage causes
the oyster bone to fail into the dieh.
After removing the oyster-bone, turn the
dish and take off the right wing, leg,
breast and oyster-hons in the same way
as on the left.
To remove the wish bone place the fiat
of the knife against the breaet.bone, and,
keeping it pressed against the carcass,
sweep it towards the neck. The breast
bone must be removed last OF all, as the
fork is never taken out Of it until that
bone comes to be separated from the car.
cass.
Roast Chicken
The directions given for carving roast
turkey will also answer generally for
roast chicken, except that the legs, being
smaller. are not divided into SO many
parts.
Roast Duck
Place tie duck on the dish with the
head at the left; insert the fork firmly
across the ridge of the breast-bone, and,
beginning at the wing, cut the meat in
long, thin fllets parallel with the breast
bone. The rest of the bird may be cut
up in tine same way as roast chicken.
Roast Goose
Place the goose in the same position ss
q duck aud carve in the same way. Never
attempt to carve goose as you would
turkey, as this always proves disastrous,
Begin at the wing and cut down through
the meat TO the bone the entire length OF
the breast. Cut thus until the ridge of
the breast-bonp is reached, then remove
the slices from the bone and cut the other |
side of the breast in the same way. Cut |
off the wing at the jpint, tip the body |
over slightly, and cut off the leg. The
wish-bone, shoulder blade and collar. bone |
may then be treated in the same way as
in turkey.