These carving instructions are for right-handed carvers. Lefties should simply reverse the following instructions:

1. Place the bird on a carving board or platter to rest.

2. Place the bird with the legs facing toward you.

3. Place the fork in your left hand and insert it firmly into the thigh, between the leg and the body.

4. With the knife in your right hand, cut down to separate the thigh from the body, slicing through the joint.

5. To separate the drumstick from the thigh, lay the drumstick and thigh flat on the carving board and, using some force, cut through the knee joint that connects them. Place on a serving platter. Repeat with the other leg. (For larger birds, such as turkey, you can then carve the meat from the thigh and the drumstick into thin slices.)

6. To remove the wings, turn the bird with the wings toward you. Insert the fork in the breast of the bird and cut off the wings where they join the body, cutting through the joint that connects them to the body.

7. To carve the breast, slice thinly, starting from the top of the bird and working you way down at a 45-degree angle.