Essex beauty learns festive tips from the top
With Christmas just around the corner, Essex beauty Sam Faiers is taking the gravy bull by the horns and putting an end to dodgy Christmas Carving. After receiving the ultimate lesson from two expert Colman’s Butchers, Sam uncovers the secrets behind the perfect Christmas bird, ensuring roast dinner disasters are a thing of Christmas past.
Despite 72% of UK mums slogging away for up to six hours (87%) in the kitchen on Christmas Day, carving the turkey is firmly dad’s domain - with 63% self-appointing themselves as the carving master. It’s therefore not surprising that dodgy carving skills are high on the list of Christmas arguments with nearly half of dads (44%) admitting they actually don’t have a clue what they are doing.
Sam says: “Carving the Christmas turkey is one of those jobs everyone wants to have a go at do but nobody really knows how. I know my mum gets annoyed when her beautiful cooking is ruined by bad carving - this has definitely caused more than a couple of arguments in our house over the years! I must admit I didn’t have a clue how to do it properly until Colman’s showed me how. I hope the video helps Brits avoid at least one Christmas bust up!”
To give men a helping hand this year, top butchers, James and Mike Rutland, members of the official Colman’s Butchers Board, have compiled the ultimate top 10 tips to carving the perfect Christmas bird. To prove just how easy it can be, watch saucy Sam learn how it’s done in the Colman’s Christmas Carving Masterclass.
Colman’s top 10 tips for carving the perfect Christmas turkey
1. Once you’ve carefully prepared your turkey, leave it to stand for 20 minutes before you carve
2. Put the turkey on a solid, clean chopping board and make sure you have a sharp carving knife and meat fork
3. Cut the kitchen twine off the legs and discard – try not to get your Christmas best’s dirty as the twine can often spring off when cut!
4. Remove each leg by cutting through the joint where the leg attaches to the body
5. Separate the drumstick and thigh by cutting each leg through the joint (wiggle the leg to locate the joint)
6. Don’t rush to remove the wings just yet - this will make the turkey very unstable for the rest of the caving – the wings act as stabilisers!
7. Run your fingers along the thigh and shred the meat from the bone – look out for the ultimate turkey gem – the Oyster, this is usually the butchers favourite
8. Using a knife and your fingers, loosen and remove the wishbone (this makes it easier to cut off the breast meat), and to make your wishes come true this Christmas pull the wishbone with your friends and family!
9. Carve the breasts across the grain. Cut only what you think you’ll need for the initial round of servings, leaving the rest of the meat on the carcass. The meat loses moisture once it’s sliced
10. Serve with lashings of Colman’s Instant Gravy!
“Carving the Christmas turkey can often be daunting, but hopefully with the help from the Colman’s top ten tips we can ensure dads remain on top and that the only thing they need to worry about this Christmas is what presents to buy everyone!” said James Rutland, of Rutland's Butchers of North Norfolk and the Colman’s Butchers Board.
The poll also reveals that ‘dad’s dodgy carving’ is in the top five causes for Christmas arguments, with families also squabbling over who has the biggest gravy serving. Dodgy carving proves to be a top niggle for mums, with one in ten (9%) citing it as their biggest Christmas bugbear –proving even more annoying than the kids squabbling (6%).
Top festive arguments
1.When nobody helps with the clearing up
2.When nobody can agree what to watch on TV
3.Who has the biggest portion at the dinner table
4.Who gets the most gravy
5.When dad ruins the dinner with his dodgy carving skills