Talk about stage fright: You've shown the family that beautiful roasted turkey, and now you're supposed to take it apart, in front of them, in a neat and appetizing way. A daunting task, it appears, but the Perdue kitchen experts break it down with two pieces of simple advice:

	Let the turkey rest before carving it, and
	Carve it legs first, then wings, then breast.

Cut off the legs

Cut through the skin where the leg is attached to the breast. Pull until the thighbone pops out of its socket – if the bird is fully cooked, this should be easy. Slice off this whole portion, including the back meat around the corner, over to the spine. Then, on the carving board, use a knife to separate the drumstick and the thigh, then the thigh and the back meat. Serve these items whole, or carve the meat off the bones, working parallel to each bone.

Cut off the wings

Cut through the skin where the wing is attached to the breast. Again, pull until the wing comes out of its socket, and then slice off the wing. Serve the wing whole, or slice the meat from the bones on a carving board.

Carve the breast

Begin slicing parallel to the bone, making thin, vertical slices, and remove them from the ribs of the carcass. Slice each of these in half or thirds if desired.

Once the turkey is carved and the meat is laid on a platter, ladle it with gravy, if desired, and garnish it with something green such as thyme, rosemary or parsley.