CARVING. In carving a long sharp knife and a two-pronged fork are essential, and a steel should also be provided.
Sirloin.—Place the joint with the chine bone to the left and the fillet underneath. Release the meat from the chine bone and also from the blade bone for about three-quarters to one inch, accord ing to the number of persons to be served. Then carve in thin slices the entire length of the joint. To carve the fillet or under cut, reverse the joint, loosen the meat from the bone, and cut in slices at right angles to the blade bone.
An alternate method when a large number of portions have to be served, is to turn the dish so that one end faces the carver and the chine bone is at the opposite end. Release the meat from the chine bone with the pointed end of the knife, and cut the meat, slicing vertically the whole length of the joint, commencing at the left hand outside.
Leg of Mutton.—Place the knuckle end to the left of the dish and turn the joint on the dish in such a way that the part with the most meat is away from the carver. Commence slicing about two or three inches from the knuckle, holding the knife in a slant ing position and working from left to right. Continue until the meat on the upper side of the joint is removed. Turn the joint, and with the knife in a horizontal position and parallel with the dish slice off the remaining meat.
Shoulder of Mutton.—Place the joint with the knuckle towards the left hand of the carver. Put the fork securely into the knuckle, raising the joint from the dish. Commence slicing to the left hand side near the fork, carving across the grain in neat slices of about one-quarter to one-eighth of an inch thick. Towards the end of the joint it will be necessary to turn the knife slightly to release the meat from the bone. When as much of the meat as possible has been removed, turn the joint over, keeping the knuckle to the left and the knife in a horizontal position and parallel to the dish, carving thin slices, working from the right to the left.
Turkey.—Remove the legs by cutting through the thin skin which connects the top of the leg and breast. Then gently pull the joint from the carcase and separate it with the pointed end of the knife; the meat should be cut in vertical slices from the upper joint of the leg. Remove the wing with a portion of the breast, then carve the latter in long, thin slices. An alternative method is to commence carving the breast after the removal of the leg but before the wings. Capon and large fowl are carved in the same way as a turkey.
Chicken.—Remove the legs in the same way as when carving a turkey. Cut the legs in half lengthways, serving the drum-stick half with the wing and the other part with the breast. Then slice the remainder of the breast. An alternative method, suitable for hotel and restaurant use, and when dealing with small birds, is to divide the carcase in half horizontally, cutting the remainder into two by chopping through the breast bone lengthways, rejecting the back or under-carcase. Pheasant, blackcock, capercailzie and duck are carved in the same way.
Goose.—Remove the legs and wings with a portion of the breast and slice the latter. Release the flesh from the breast bone and carve the breast in thin slanting slices, starting from where the wings have been removed.
Pigeons, Partridges and Other Small Game.—When the birds are small and only enough for two portions divide equally into two, cutting through the breast bone with a sharp knife. If available, use game scissors for they facilitate the severing of the back bone. They are also convenient for removing the base of this bone, which should be done before serving. To serve four portions, cut in half along the breast bone and divide each side of the bird in half with a slanting cut from the point where the wing joins the carcase towards the neck end.
Wild Duck.—Remove the wings, dissect the entire breast away from the carcase and carve in horizontal slices across the grain.
Roast Hare.—Remove a rectangular portion of flesh from the back forming the saddle, and cut in thin slices. Then slice the flesh from the hind legs. (D. D. C. T.) Carving in Sculpture.—To carve is to cut, whatever the material; but more particularly as appertains to the art of sculp ture. The name of sculpture (see SCULPTURE) is commonly re served for the great masters of the art, especially in stone and marble, while that of carver is given to the artists or workmen who execute the subordinate decorations of architecture. The word is also specially applied to sculpture in ivory (q.v.) and its substitutes, and in wood (see WOODCARVING) and other soft materials (see also GEM).