Carving a turkey properly is a skill that can make a big difference in presentation and taste. Here’s a step-by-step guide to carving a turkey:
Prepare the Tools: You’ll need a sharp carving knife, a carving fork, a cutting board, and a serving platter.
Let it Rest: After removing the turkey from the oven, let it rest on a cutting board for about 15-20 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, making the meat juicier and easier to carve.
Remove the Legs and Thighs: Start by cutting through the skin between the breast and the thigh. Pull the leg away from the body until the joint pops out, then use your knife to cut through the joint. Repeat on the other side.
Separate the Thigh from the Drumstick: Locate the joint between the thigh and the drumstick and cut through it.
Slice the Breast Meat: Make a horizontal cut along the bottom of the breast where it meets the body. Then, make vertical slices downward from the top of the breast, parallel to the breastbone. Continue slicing until you’ve removed all the breast meat from one side of the turkey.
Repeat on the Other Side: Turn the turkey around and repeat the slicing process on the other side of the breast.
Remove the Wings: Pull each wing away from the body until you can see the joint, then cut through it to remove the wing.
Serve: Arrange the carved turkey pieces on a serving platter, and you’re ready to serve!
Remember, practice makes perfect when it comes to carving a turkey. Don’t worry if your first attempt isn’t perfect—it’s all about enjoying the process and the delicious end result!
10 uses for a waffle iron besides making waffles that you never knew about.
Waffle irons are versatile kitchen appliances that can be used for more than just making waffles. Here are 10 creative uses:
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: Use the waffle iron to make perfectly crispy grilled cheese sandwiches. Place the sandwich between the waffle iron plates and press until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Hash Browns or Tater Tots: Press shredded potatoes or tater tots in the waffle iron to create crispy hash browns. This gives them a unique texture compared to traditional methods.
Cinnamon Rolls: Cook cinnamon roll dough in the waffle iron for a quick and easy alternative to baking. The result is a deliciously crispy, caramelized exterior.
Quesadillas: Make quesadillas by placing tortillas, cheese, and your favorite fillings in the waffle iron. It creates a crunchy, cheesy exterior with a gooey interior.
Brownies or Cookies: Use the waffle iron to make individual portions of brownies or cookies. This method gives them a crisp outer layer while keeping the inside soft.
Falafel or Veggie Patties: Flatten falafel or veggie patties in the waffle iron for a quick and uniform cooking process. This technique provides a nice, crispy texture.
Omelets or Frittatas: Beat eggs and pour them into the waffle iron along with your favorite omelet or frittata ingredients. This creates a convenient, mess-free single-serving breakfast.
Panini-style Sandwiches: Make panini-style sandwiches by pressing your favorite bread and fillings in the waffle iron. It gives sandwiches a unique texture and compresses the ingredients together.
Bacon or Sausage: Cook bacon or sausage in the waffle iron for a quick and easy way to achieve a crispy texture without splattering grease on the stovetop.
Stuffed Waffles: Create stuffed waffles by placing a layer of batter, adding sweet or savory fillings, and then topping with more batter before closing the waffle iron. This results in a waffle with a surprise filling.
Remember to experiment with different recipes and get creative with your waffle iron to discover even more delicious possibilities!
These tasty recipe ideas are Brought to you by #foodedmontondining at foodedmonton.com
Here are the best tools for cutting up a raw chicken.
The best tools for cutting up a raw chicken would be a sharp chef’s knife or a poultry shears. My preferred tool is a cleaver. Just like the one below.
Meat cleaver.
A sharp chef’s knife can be used to cut through the chicken’s bones and meat with precision, while a good pair of poultry shears can be used to cut through bones and remove the backbone easily.
When using a knife or cleaver it’s important to use a thick strong cutting board and to make sure the chicken is held securely in place to prevent any accidents.
Strong, thick Cutting board
Additionally, make sure the knife or cleaver is sharp to avoid applying excessive force and reducing the risk of injury.
Here’s what the chickens look like after they’ve been cut up.
Cut up chicken.
Always use caution when handling sharp knives and tools in the kitchen, and take the necessary safety precautions to protect yourself from harm. Remember dull cutting tools are a danger to you. Brought to you by foodedmonton.com
Do you get lumps in your white sauce? When making the white sauce (béchamel) or any sauce that requires slow cooking to thicken use an egg whisk and you can increase the temperature (not too much though) to speed the process up. and you won’t get any lumps in it.
Turn your open barbeque into a gourmet oven. Want to try a new barbeque recipe that requires a hood on the barbeque which you may not have? Try using a wok lid or any domed lid. This works very well indeed. Great for roasted meats when camping out.
Never buy frozen pastry again. Do you hate making short pastries? Use a kitchen whiz instead of the usual hand method. Use slightly less liquid than may be asked for in the recipe. Just run the whiz until all the pastry forms into a ball. If it won’t form into a ball you may need just a touch more liquid. The liquid depends on what recipe you use for your pastry.
Do your scones look more like rock cakes? Make your scones in a kitchen whiz. Many people just can’t make scones no matter what. Usually, the problem is too much handling. Using the whiz eliminates this problem.
Also, try and make your scones as though people or the family are sitting at the table waiting. In other words, the less time you take means less handling. The mixture should be quite moist, not dry after you add the milk.
Turn onto a well-floured board and top a few times with the tips of your fingers to draw the extra four in. This should only take you about 5-8 seconds. Gently pat into shape and cut into whatever shaped scones you want – round or square -whatever.
Scones seem to come out best when cooked in what is variously described as a rising oven. In other words, turn your oven on not too long before you start to mix your scones and when they are put in the oven it still has not quite reached the required temperature.
I learnt this way of making scones when I was used to crewing on a yacht when I was younger and the guys would want morning tea and see if they could cajole me into making some. Hence my reference to having a waiting audience. The oven was only a small benchtop gas oven and I would turn it on to its maximum temperature and then throw the flour butter and milk together. They were most impressed and I was most surprised at the result. I was not at all sure of my expertise in scone making as my mother could never make scones – hers were the ones that came out like bullets.
I did later convert my mother into making scones in the kitchen whiz when she was around 65 and she was amazed that she finally learnt to make a scone that was edible.
I might add that scones became a regular morning tea item
Are your curries chewy? Do you have trouble working out if a casserole or curry is cooked? When the oil (fat) rises the dish is cooked. All meat dish casseroles have some fat content and when this is released the meat is cooked.
Are you missing the magic ingredient? Have you ever cooked a curry or casserole and the flavour just needs a little something and you can’t quite work out exactly what is needed? Maybe it seems as though the flavours don’t quite go together. It is a small intangible ingredient that is lacking. Try a very small amount of sugar and you will be surprised how it seems to blend and mellow the flavours into a more harmonious combination. The flavours will cease to fight against each other.
Whoops, have you ever slipped with the salt pot when cooking? Have you ever added just a touch too much salt to a recipe? Never add sugar to correct this try a squeeze of lemon juice.
I hate washing roasting pans. Do you like to have roasted potatoes occasionally but hate washing up the pan afterwards? Here is a simple easy method and it uses less fat. Cut each potato with the skin on, in half so that you have the largest cut area. Add a little margarine and spread it on the cut side of the potato. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper if you want.
Place the buttered potatoes buttered side down on a sheet of aluminum foil wrap. Fold the foil and seal. Add to a preheated hot oven at 200 degrees centigrade and cook for approx. half an hour. When cooked unwrap and gently peel the foil off the potatoes and serve. Throw the foil in the garbage and voila – lovely crisp roasted potatoes and no mess.
