You?re just sitting down to a holiday table graced by a beautifully roasted turkey when your host asks you, ?Will you please carve??

If this scenario is intimidating, there?s comfort in knowing you can easily learn the basics of poultry carving and, with a little practice, master them.

Professional-quality tools make any carver look good. A proper knife for carving poultry has a blade eight to ten inches long, strong enough to cut through bones but flexible enough to pass around them.

Add a sharp-tined meat fork and a carving board with grooves or a well to capture the meat juices, and you?re in business. If you carve often, also consider some heavy-duty poultry shears for cutting through joints.

Cut off the wing tips (reserve them for soup) and separate the wings from the body, then separate the legs from the body; cut apart thigh and drumstick pieces Cut through the backbone, opening the carcass, cut off the lower part of the backbone and then separate the upper part of the backbone from the breast. Split the breast in half and cut each half into two pieces

I like to add the flavourful backbone pieces to the pot and eat them too! (But you can save these for stock, if you prefer.) Trim away excess fat and skin.

Showing off the whole bird is essential, so do it with a flourish and then hurry it back to the kitchen for carving.

Although a perfectly browned bird on the table is an impressive sight, carving is easier and less messy in the kitchen, especially if you?re not yet comfortable performing before an audience. Working ?behind closed doors? permits the bird to be carefully sectioned, sliced and arranged for the final presentation.

By carving only enough slices for first servings and leaving the carcass in the kitchen, you?ll be able to protect the rest of the meat from cooling off and drying out.

? To carve poultry at the dining table, remove the legs and slice the meat from them, if desired, as described above. To provide the best angle for slicing the breast meat, position the bird so that the neck faces the carver. Slice the breast meat parallel to the backbone, making slices about inch thick.

1. Begin by removing any trussing string or skewers. Inserting the point of the knife though the skin where the meaty part of the drumstick touches the breast, slice through to the leg joint.

Using a fork to press the joint outward, away from the breast, stick the blade directly into the leg joint and sever it. Repeat on the other leg joint.

2. Place one of the legs, skin side up, on the carving board. Insert the knife or the blade of poultry shears through the joint connecting the drumstick and thigh; sever them cleanly.

Unless you wish to present the whole drumsticks and thighs as individual servings, use the fork to hold the drumstick flat on the board as you cut thin slices parallel to the bone.

When the knife strikes bone, turn the leg over and slice in the same way, arranging the slices on the platter. Repeat the process for the thighs.

3. Remove each wing by severing the joint between the wing and body. Transfer the whole wing to the platter. Repeat for the other wing.

4. Finally, remove each breast half from the carcass by inserting the blade down along one side of the breastbone. Pass the knife along the contour of the bone, releasing the breast. Repeat with the other breast half. Slice the meat and arrange it on the platter.

This method of roasting turkey is simple enough to use any time of year, not simply at holidays or other special occasions. The bird is left unstuffed to speed cooking and reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, but if you enjoy stuffing, bake it separately in a lidded dish.

1 fresh or fully thawed medium turkey, approximately 12 to 15 pounds

Salt and pepper, as needed

2 to 3 tablespoons butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove giblets and neck from turkey, discarding or reserving for stock. Wash turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Lightly sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper.

Fold and skewer neck skin under body. Use trussing skewers or kitchen string to secure wings and legs close to the body. Place turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan; pour water into roasting pan to a depth of one inch. Rub surface of bird with butter.

2. Roast uncovered, basting occasionally with pan juices. Turkey is done when drumstick moves easily and thickest part of thigh meat registers 180 degrees (approximately two to three hours, depending on size of bird).

If breast begins to brown too rapidly before thighs are done, partly cover it with a loose tent of aluminum foil.

3. Place turkey on platter or carving board. Discard trussing strings or skewers, baste bird with a little of the pan juices, and loosely cover bird with aluminium foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before carving and arranging on platter. Serve warm. Serves 12 to 15.

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