The electric knife did get a mention on the foodie Web site Chowhound, but only as one of "the most foolish electric gadgets people had ever purchased." One Chowhound contributor likened using an electric knife to "carving with a hedge cutter."
I don't know where my dad's old Hamilton Beach sword ended up.
I have long used a stationary, steel blade to dissect the bird. The key to carving a turkey, I learned long ago, is to have a sharp knife, with a fixed blade. You separate the thigh, drumstick and wings from the breasts. Then you slice the breast meat. Without the drumsticks and wings in the way, the slicing is easy.
Usually I cut thin slices off the breast working parallel to the bird. Sometimes I get ambitious and remove the entire piece of breast meat. I do this by making a horizontal cut at the base of breast, then slipping the tip of the knife along the breastbone and prying the meat with my hand as I cut, working it until the breast comes off in one piece. Once the breast piece is free from the carcass, I put it on a cutting board and slice it crosswise.
This carving style is efficient. It yields attractive pieces of turkey that are moist and manageable.
Often the results of my approach generate words of praise from the seated diners.
I accept the accolades, but I have to admit I miss the drama that occurred when my dad stood over the turkey, and the knife motor roared.
