GOOD CARVING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22615, 31 December 1936, Page 2

GOOD CARVING

JOINTS AND POULTRY NOT A DIFFICULT ART Sitting down to dinner and watching the head of the house hark the joint to pieces, while the members of the family wait patiently to be served is 110 uncommon sight when a large family is seated round d dinner table. That is the reason one «o often sees a woman carving the joint. She prefers to do it to?having the family kept impatiently waiting, and often eating cold the dinner which has been sent in piping hot. Carving is not as difficult as some people imagine. Men and' women have been known to tremble at the idea of cutting up a fowl or a duck, but the art of good carving is not hard to learn if a few simple rules are followed.

One essential thing is that the dish upon which the meat or poultry is to be served should be large enough to allow its being turned to the most •? convenient positions. _ A good carver often prefers to disjoint a bird before serving any part of it, and the dish should afford space for the portions. A sharp knife is the all-important, thing. When carving meat the angle at which the knife is held must never be altered after the first incision has been made or the result will bo a jagged slice. The cut must be direct and sharp, the knife being held firmly' and applied without too much pressure, otherwise too much gravy will K be out. . . ... A joino should always be cut across the grain, with the exception of a saddle of mutton, which is nearly alwavs carved in slices running parallel with the fibres of the grain of the meat. Ham and beef should be carved into very thin slices; mutton and pork into fairly thick ones. Some joints, as, for instance, the undercut of a sirloin of beef, or the knuckle end of a leg of mutton, are better when eaten hot. Others are equally good served either hot or cold. By using only one particular part when the joint is'hot, it may be made to present a better appearance when served cold. A loin of veal or lamb needs care- % ful jointing if it is to be carved with '"J ease. If the butcher is asked to do this carefully, there should be no difficulty *> in carrying the knife across, and separating each chop. More skill is required when carving poultry than when carving a joint, as a knowledge of the anatomy of the bird is required if the knife is to be inserted at the correct point. An expert carver will, with a few deft strokes, divide a bird into neat portions. Generally speaking, the wings should be removed first, and the breast cut off the bone in one slice, or several if the bird is plump. The legs are cut off last, and, if the bird is stuffed, a little forcemeat is served with each portion.