CARVING: THE GREAT ART OF PRECISE CUTTING
Carving is one of the higher skills in the art of cooking. Or rather, the art of preparation. Because when you start the carving knife, the meat is already done. You make fine, delicate cuts with a precise, sharp knife when carving. Slice by slice, your roast meat becomes a delicious delicacy on the plate - if you carve it correctly. And that's precisely what we're going to show you now.
THE MEANING OF CARVING: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Carving is a French word that sounds much better than the German translation, "zerlegen". It means the same thing for cooked food, whether in German or French: cooked meat, poultry or other food is cut into even slices or pieces when carving. It's a technique that requires precision and skill so that there is no waste and you can present your carved food attractively.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE TO FILLETING?
In contrast to filleting, where the skin and bones are removed to turn the meat into a clean fillet, carving leaves the structure of the food largely intact. Carving is, therefore, the method of choice for serving large roasts, poultry or even larger fruits such as oranges or grapefruit.
WHICH FOODS ARE CARVED?
That brings us to your shopping list for carving: The foods most often carved are goose, duck, chicken, and turkey—in other words, the ingredients for real feasts. Roasts are also frequent candidates for this challenging cutting technique.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR CARVING
How you carve these foods can make the difference between an average meal and a culinary experience. And to ensure you get it right next time (or the first time), let's look at how you can master this technique step by step.
1. The right accessories
Before you start carving, you need a high-quality carving knife. It should be sharp to enable clean cuts. Of course, you can get one of these in the ZWILLING online store.
The carving set includes a knife and a large, long meat fork to hold the meat securely while you cut it. Poultry shears can also be useful for cutting bones and dividing meat when carving.
2. Carving poultry
Let's start with the instructions for carving poultry, for example, a goose or chicken:
- Place the cooked poultry on a cutting board, breast side up.
- Cut along the breast muscles to cut the breast into thin slices. Use long, even cuts.
- To carve the thighs, find the joint between the lower and upper thigh and cut along this joint.
- Make sure to cut the meat evenly to get nice slices.
3. Carving a roast
Carving a roast requires a slightly different approach:
- Let the roast rest for 10-15 minutes after cooking.
- Use a sharp knife, a fork and a cutting board
- Remove strings or clips from the roast.
- Cut the breast into diagonal slices next to the breastbone
- Carve the leg along the bone.
- Remove wings and other parts as required.
- Arrange the pieces of meat on a plate and pour sauce over them.
Tip: Keep the knife sharp and practice patience for precise cuts. Good luck!
4. The process of tracing with scissors
Sometimes it's easy to use poultry shears to carve poultry. In this case:
- Start by cutting off the wings, followed by the legs and the breast piece.
- Cut the meat into even pieces, using the heaviness to carve.
ZWILLING CREATIVE: CARVING BY RECIPE
For additional inspiration, we at ZWILLING have developed some delicious recipes where you can put your newly learned carving skills to use.
For example, try the recipe for "TURKEY ROULADE WITH SAGE AND ORANGE" or the "DUCK BREAST À L'ORANGE SOUS-VIDE"?
For lovers of roast chicken, we have 'ROAST CHICKEN WITH CORN AND THYME'.
If you're looking for other types of meat, try 'COD ON BRAISED TOMATOES, OLIVES AND LEMON' or 'MEDITERRANEAN POTATOES'. Another delicious option is "ROAST VEAL DE LARRIVAUX".
