Hi! Can anyone tell me how to carve a turkey and put it back on the frame so that it looks like it hasn't been carved? Also, how do you figure how many people a 20lb. turkey feeds, for example, taking into consideration the bones. Thanks for your help. Gina

By Sam (Sam) on Monday, September 30, 2002 - 06:07 pm: Edit

dear gina, I've seen lots of carving presentations, but not one that you are referring to, but alas, we do a lot of roast whole turkeys during the holidays, roasted about 300 between 11/10 - 12/23 last yr, we figure a 22-24# tom bird will feed about 20-22 ppl, we roast whole, break down, use the bones for stock, then stock for dressings & gravies, we pan up the breast & dark meat & I think on "another" catering board someone suggested what we do sometimes & that is having a beautiful roasted whole bird on the buffet for show......sam

By Corey (Corey) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 12:23 am: Edit

We used to do whole birds untill staff found out rolls were much cheaper. and don't even ask me about gravys. course I do get to carve the roll thou.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 01:20 am: Edit

whats a roll?

By Chefhdan (Chefhdan) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 07:08 am: Edit

There are a couple of manufacturers who'll sell you boned, rolled, and netted turkey breasts, plantation even sells a whole muscle boneless turkey breast that is already in a roasting bag. It's slick sh*t when you gotta crank out a serious number of birds at economy rates. You can also do your own by spliting the bird in half, fully boning out the sides, pounding / butterflying the breast, filling with a selected stuffing / filling, rolling, tying, and roasting the assembled turkey gallantine...(? or is it a ballantine if it's served hot???) Either way it's alot simpler to carve and the end yield is a lot higher, plus you'll have the bones before the bird is cooked, so you're not re-heating turkey and serving leftovers.. If that is the wrong answer, then they must have meant a little turkey sandwich on a roll.

By Corey (Corey) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 11:09 am: Edit

ya, and a turkey roll is quick work on a slicer too.

By Corey (Corey) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 11:11 am: Edit

no, right answer, boneless turkey breast compressed into a roll. no bones, no guts, no fuss.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 03:52 pm: Edit

a loaf of turkey
yummm.........

lol.

By Ladycake (Ladycake) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 07:09 pm: Edit

Hey, remember those boneless turkeys we stuffed with one stuffing then with a boned chicken that was stuffed with another stuffing and a boned gamehen that was stuffed with another stuffing. It made a great presentation and tasted wonderful but food costs were a good deal more than turkey.

By Sam (Sam) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 07:59 pm: Edit

as for the ballontine // galontine question: a galontine is usually rolled from the breast or whole bird, poached is usually served cold, but could be served hot....a ballontine, is made just from the leg portion, boned, stuff & roasted or braised, served hot or cold, sometimes w/ aspic gelee or chaud froid...some more totally useless info....sam

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 09:14 pm: Edit

It's gravy at a diner, sauce in a restaurant! Turkey roll is what happens to a turkey while turkey bowling!!!

By Ginamiriam (Ginamiriam) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 09:22 pm: Edit

Geez! You guys really get off the topic here, don't ya!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Tuesday, October 01, 2002 - 09:39 pm: Edit

chef gina,
if the question was answered, or even if it wasen't, we move on and have a little fun.
nothing wrong with a little fun, uh?
theres always fun in what people write, or it brings up a memory for someone.
its relaxing, after a hard day at the office.
chefs style.

By Chefhdan (Chefhdan) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 08:14 am: Edit

And then there was the turkey that fell asleep at grand central and got rolled for his wallet

By Ginamiriam (Ginamiriam) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 09:32 am: Edit

Okay, I can play too. Here are some true stories from the Butterball Turkey Hotline.
1. A woman called 1-800-323-4848 to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. The Talk-Line operator asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, "I don't know, it's still running around outside."

2. A restaurant owner in California called wanting to know how to roast a turkey for a vegetarian menu.

3. A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

By George (George) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 09:46 am: Edit

Try this-

Score the outline of the breast with a sharp knife and remove the skin covering the breast portion as intact as posible.

Take both breasts off the turkey carefully.

Slice them taking care not to move em arround too much.

Replace the in the same position and drape with the turkey skin.

(I appologise for getting back on topic)

G

By Ladycake (Ladycake) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 10:32 am: Edit

I thought gravy was pan likker, grease (excuse me), seasonings and flour with liquid (milk or water) and sauce was a more sophisticated process with a potentially large number of ingredients. Also, ballontines were stuffed with meat not necessarily of the bird in question and gallontines were only of the same-bird meat ... not true?

By Ginamiriam (Ginamiriam) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 07:00 pm: Edit

Butterball had a recall on their turkeys. Why? They forgot to butter the balls!

Thanks for all your input. Gina

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 07:00 pm: Edit

Nah! a pan likker is when you are going down with a sautee pan on your head!!!!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 07:07 pm: Edit

My, My, My..........
Seems Gina has played this before, yes?

Watch it George, with that topic thing......

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 07:53 pm: Edit

On topic? what the hell is that?

By Sam (Sam) on Wednesday, October 02, 2002 - 08:26 pm: Edit

dear ladycake, either galontines or ballontines, may be farced w/ either like meats or other meats or items, the modern day difference is; galontines are the whole bird, deboned & stuffed in its whole skin, & the ballontines use only the legs,,,,but if you look up in larouuse the difference was/is, galontines are poached & chilled in their own stock, while ballontines are roasted or braised.....hope these ambiguous definitions help......sam

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 01:14 am: Edit

Sam, whats it called when you wrap dough around it?
would that come under a Pate'?
or still under the "tines things"?
you ever try stuffing it into a pvc pipe to get it perfectly round?
could you serve hot and cold sauces with them?
how about relishes, could you serve relishes with them.
are these like Head Cheese?, that round roll made from pigs noses?
are they better than Pate' or something different all together.
sorry about all the questions, but I'm intrested in the applications.
are these something that you would serve with cheese, or before a meal? during? in between courses?
whew!........I think thats it.
thanks

By Corey (Corey) on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 01:46 am: Edit

pigs noses?
my favorite sandwich... snout on rye.
only thing is, you have to plus the nostrils,
other wise, all your dressing squirt out...

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 01:54 am: Edit

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa............
I'm telling ya brother, Stand Up routine!!

By Corey (Corey) on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 02:03 am: Edit

nah, I saw this at a cuban restaurant.
what they eat would scare you.

By Ladycake (Ladycake) on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 11:09 am: Edit

Sam, thanks for a note of sanity and some clarity, here ... LOL (guess you can tell I know a little more about cakes than birds Haha)

Manny , sometimes you are scary, or is that just the Florida heat finally getting to you?

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 11:49 am: Edit

Scary! I've been called worse but, I have never farted on a ballontine or a galontine like Sam said!!!!
There is no heat in FL. , what are you talking about? It's all mind over matter, if you don't mind, it don't matter!!!
You don't have to be crazy to be in this business but it helps Ladycake.

By Sam (Sam) on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 09:01 pm: Edit

Oh such a funny bunch!, Manny i didn't say fart, i said farce (forcemeat)...but I'm going to try to answer spikes questions (don't really know if spike is serious? or just wanting to test my copious amounts of mundane and mostly useless culinary knowledge)... but here it goes: if it is wrapped in dough, then it is pate en croute, if it is baked & served in an earthenware dish (terrine) then it is a pate en terrine, today shortened to terrine; but all fall under the pate' heading, if you stuffed a galontine, ect in a pvc pipe, it wouldn't be round, but enlongated....as far as hot or cold sauce, it would be hot sauce w/ warm dish & visa versa;, will pass on the relish question...as far as head cheese or souse, that is made w/ all the items left after butchering the hog, not just snouts, and is a classic country french preparation that would come under the term of forcemeat or 5/4/3 emulsions, like bolonga or hot dogs..., and for when you might serve these items, would be in the app course or during the cocktail hour.....any more???
sam sears, cec

By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Friday, October 04, 2002 - 12:22 pm: Edit

made w/ all the items left after butchering the hog, not just snouts, and is a classic country french preparation that would come under the term of forcemeat or 5/4/3 emulsions, like bolonga or hot dogs.

that's disgusting! I don't know how anyone could eat such things!!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, October 04, 2002 - 07:04 pm: Edit

Sam,
I was serious !...I love that stuff !!
how many cuts in a leg of beef? I thought there was 5 main ones. No?...Yes?
thanks,
and don't mind snuff, he's from texas and if it aint beef and if it aint mooing, it's wierd!

By Catergreat (Catergreat) on Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 12:28 pm: Edit

regarding beef legs, what is the back muscle called between the cow's knee and ankle?

is it called a calf? or a baby?

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 01:05 pm: Edit

Snuffy says after a couple of beers it's a good place to rub up against, and he calls it "baby".
but he's from Tex-as so what does he know.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 08:34 pm: Edit

That's funny Spike!!!!!

By Sam (Sam) on Thursday, October 10, 2002 - 11:06 pm: Edit

spike, do you really want to know about the "leg" of beef, which is really the "round"...???..and they are I believe, round, shankoff; top & bottom round & knuckle...of course each of these can be cut down again to eye of round, top; eye of round, bottom & peeled knuckle....and for catergreats question, I don't know....sam

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, October 11, 2002 - 09:03 pm: Edit

Steve9999, Look here!!!
Thanks Sam...........................

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Saturday, October 12, 2002 - 09:02 am: Edit

"Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?"

GEORGE W. BUSH
I don't think I should have to answer that question.

AL GORE
I invented the chicken. I invented the road. Therefore, the chicken
crossing the road represented the application of these two different
functions of government in a new, reinvented way designed to bring
greater services the the American people.

RALPH NADER
The chicken's habitat on the original side of the road had been
polluted by unchecked industrialist greed. The chicken did not reach the unspoiled
habitat on the other side of the road because it was crushed by the
wheels of a gas-guzzling SUV.

PAT BUCHANAN
The chicken crossed the road to steal a job from a decent, hardworking
American.

RUSH LIMBAUGH
I don't know why the chicken crossed the road, but I'll bet it was
getting a government grant to cross the road, and I'll bet someone out there is
forming a support group to help chickens with crossing-the-road
syndrome. Can you believe this?

How much more of this can real Americans take? Chickens crossing the
road paid for by their tax dollars, and when I say tax dollars, I'm talking
about your money, money the government took from you to build roads for
chickens to cross.

MARTHA STEWART
If the chicken crossed the road on my property, I would be fully
justified in blocking its exit until the local authorities could arrive to arrest it
for trespassing. I am a private person and should not have to be subjected
the "innocent mistakes" of common chickens.

JERRY FALWELL
Because the chicken was gay! Isn't it obvious? Can't you people see
the plain truth in front of your face? The chicken was going to the "other
side. "That's what "they" call it - the "other side."
Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat chicken, you will
become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this
abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless
phrases like "the other side."

DR. SEUSS
Did the chicken cross the road?
Did he cross it with a toad?
Yes! The chicken crossed the road,
But why it crossed, I've not been told

ERNEST HEMINGWAY
To die. In the rain. Alone.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads
without having their motives called into question.

GRANDPA
In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone
told us that the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.

BARBARA WALTERS
Isn't that interesting? In a few minutes we will be listening to the
chicken tell, for the first time, the heartwarming story of how it
overcame a serious case of molting and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream
ofcrossing the road.

JOHN LENNON
Imagine all the chickens crossing roads in peace.

AIRSTOTLE
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

KARL MARX
It was a historical inevitability.

SADDAM HUSSEIN
This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were quite justified in
dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

VOLTAIRE
I may not agree with what the chicken did, but I will defend to the
death its right to do it.

RONALD REAGAN
What chicken?

KEN STARR
I intend to prove that the chicken crossed the road at the behest of the
President of the United States of American in an effort to distract law
enforcement and the American public from the criminal wrongdoing our
highest elected official has been trying to cover up.

As a result, the chicken is just another pawn in the president's ongoing
and elaborate scheme to obstruct justice and undermine the rule of law.
For that reason, my staff intends to offer the chicken unconditional immunity
provide he cooperates fully with our investigation. Furthermore, the chicken
will not be permitted to reach the other side of the road until our investigation
and any Congressional follow-up investigations have been completed.

CAPTAIN KIRK
To boldly go where no chicken has gone.

FOX MULDER
You saw it cross the road with your own eyes! How many more chickens
have to cross before you believe it?

FREUD
The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road
reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Saturday, October 12, 2002 - 09:03 am: Edit

Part II.......Chicken
BILL GATES
I have just released eChicken 2003, which will not only cross roads,
but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your
checkbook---and Internet Explorer is an inextricable part of eChicken.

EINSTEIN
Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath the
chicken?

BILL CLINTON
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What do you mean by that
chicken? Could you define chicken please?

LOUIS FARRAKHAN
The road, you will see, represents the black man. The chicken crossed
the "black man" in order to trample him and keep him down.

THE BIBLE
And God came down from the heavens, and He said
Unto the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road" And
the chicken crossed the road, and there was much
rejoicing, rejoicing.

COLONEL SANDERS
I missed one?

By Grwall (Grwall) on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 05:14 pm: Edit

And that's what happens when the Chef gets a day off - with beer.

Chickens indeed, humph!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Tuesday, October 15, 2002 - 08:17 pm: Edit

Grwall, thats very funny................