Carving tutorials

Learn how to carve the Christmas Bird at Peter Jones

December 2009

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Nobody can say that Peter Jones doesn’t take Christmas seriously: first they gave us those free Christmas Shopping Beauty Boosters, and now John Lewis’s Chelsea branch is homing in on the day itself, with Christmas bird carving tutorials.

At 2pm and 4pm on Saturday December 4 and 12, Peter Jones’s head chef Chris McLean will be sharing tips and showing how best to get to grips with a bird, including the engastration roast (a bird within a bird within a bird). And it’s free.

For those of you who can’t make it, here are Chris McLean’s top carving tips:

Roast turkey: carving against the grain will cause the meat to be more tender than cutting with or parallel to them.

Roast goose: breasts are shallow, so opt for a sharp knife and angle it at about 90 degrees to the breastbone, carving from the neck end. Detach the legs and then slice off the thigh meat.

Roast duck: for the perfect juicy roast duck, rest the bird on the cutting board for 5 minutes straight from the oven. This allows the juices to settle, making the duck deliciously tender.

Carving tutorials will take place in Peter Jones’s kitchenware department. For more information visit peterjones.co.uk.