It can be challenging to carve chicken, turkey, and other poultry for a beautiful presentation and maximum meat recovery.
When the bird is raw, this is done so that the breast can be sliced evenly and cleanly after it has been smoked, braised in a pot, or baked.
You can either do this on the carcass or take out the entire breast section and sever it on a cutting board.
Ah, the wishbone. That delicate, V-shaped bone nestled at the base of a turkey’s breastbone, a symbol of good luck and playful competition during Thanksgiving feasts. But before you can snap that wishbone and make a wish, you’ve got to remove it from the raw turkey.
Fear not my fellow poultry enthusiasts for I’m here to guide you through the process of wishbone removal with a step-by-step guide that’s as easy as, well, snapping a wishbone.
Tools of the Trade:
- A sharp knife (a boning knife works best)
- A cutting board
- A pair of kitchen shears (optional)
The Removal Process:
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Prep Your Turkey: Lay your raw turkey breast-side down on a cutting board. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and dry.
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Locate the Wishbone: Feel around the base of the turkey’s breastbone for a V-shaped bone. It’s usually located near the center of the breast, just below the keel bone (the long, prominent bone running down the center of the breast).
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Make an Incision: Using your sharp knife, make a small incision along the wishbone, cutting through the skin and any surrounding tissue. Be careful not to cut too deeply, as you don’t want to damage the wishbone itself
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Free the Wishbone: Gently pull the wishbone free from the surrounding tissue, using your fingers or the tip of your knife You may need to use your kitchen shears to snip through any stubborn tendons or ligaments.
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Remove the Wishbone: Once the wishbone is free, carefully pull it out of the turkey. You may need to wiggle it a bit to loosen it from the surrounding cartilage.
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Clean Up: Discard the wishbone and any excess tissue. Wash your knife and cutting board thoroughly with hot, soapy water.
Tips and Tricks:
- If you’re having trouble locating the wishbone, try feeling for it with your fingers. It should be relatively easy to identify once you know what you’re looking for.
- Be careful not to break the wishbone while removing it. A broken wishbone is no fun for anyone.
- If you’re planning on making gravy with the turkey drippings, be sure to remove the wishbone before roasting the turkey. The wishbone can add a slightly bitter flavor to the gravy.
Additional Resources:
- Tracy’s Food and Thought Blog: Removing the Wishbone from Your Turkey
- YouTube Video: How to Remove the Wishbone from a Turkey
Removing the wishbone from a raw turkey is a simple process that anyone can do with a little patience and the right tools. Now that you know how to do it, you can impress your family and friends with your wishbone-removing skills and ensure that everyone gets a fair shot at making a wish this Thanksgiving.
Step 1 – Locate the Bone
Turn the bird so that its rump is pointed up. To feel for the wishbone on either side of the inner neck area, slide the skin covering the neck cavity aside and feel inside.
Using your paring knife, scrape a small portion of flesh from each side of the inner neck cavity if you are unable to locate it with pressure. The bone is only a fraction of an inch under the flesh.
Steps for Removing the Wishbone
This is a quick and easy process. Have no fear. Grab a paring knife and let’s go!
Removing a wishbone from a raw turkey
Is it too late to remove a wishbone from a Turkey?
It’s never too late, YOU CAN DO IT! I’ve been removing the wishbone from my turkey, before roasting, since I learned of this simple trick by working with a caterer years ago. The biggest reason why is that it facilitates the easy removal of each whole lobe from the bone following cooking, allowing even and precise slicing for service.
How do you remove the wishbone from a Turkey?
Take a small, sharp knife and free the v-shaped wishbone from the breast meat at the neck end, twisting to remove. To spatchcock the turkey, take a solid pair of kitchen scissors and cut down either side of the backbone to remove it.
Can you cut a turkey breast without a wishbone?
However, there is a trick to make this easier: Remove the wishbone. This is done when the bird is raw – and once oven roasted, braised in a pot, or smoked, the breast can be sliced cleanly, in even slices. Removing the wishbone allows for even slicing of the breast of a chicken, turkey, or other poultry.
Can you remove a wishbone from a chicken?
Removing the wishbone allows for even slicing of the breast of a chicken, turkey, or other poultry. This can be done on the carcass, or you can remove the complete breast sections and carve them up on a cutting board. This saves time when carving and makes for a beautiful presentation. This is a quick and easy process. Have no fear.