How to carve your Christmas turkey

There are many stages to perfecting the Christmas turkey. Imagine, if you will, being in the final of the Olympic 100m hurdles. You get the perfect start, hitting the first obstacle in pole position. Your lead stretches – everything is going to plan. The podium awaits. But then, with the finish line in sight, you clip the final hurdle and stumble, crashing to your knees. Your race is over. You’ll have too wait another 4 years to get another chance.

The carving of your prized bird is that final hurdle. After hours and hours of preparation, basting, stuffing, massaging and seasoning, the final piece of the puzzle is the dissecting of this laborious effort. Presenting the meat as if you used a log chopper rather than a sharp knife is sure to ruffle a few feathers with the chef. The Golden Rule? Follow Mr Oliver…