🔗 Share this article

At our kitchen, regularly slow-cook drumsticks, as the entire process can be done ahead of time. For the festive season, I often employ with turkey drumsticks – it’s a lovely way to eat them. Serve with buttery potato and greens, though steamed rice, boiled new potatoes or caramelized carrots are also excellent.

Braised Turkey Legs with A Creamy Herb Sauce, and Colcannon

This can easily be scaled up for extra guests – you’ll just need an enlarged cooking vessel.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Braised Legs:

• Sunflower oil or another neutral oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 bone-in turkey legs or drumsticks
• 1 tbsp butter
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 5 slices streaky bacon, chopped
• 8 sage leaves preferably fresh
• 70ml white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
• 60-100ml chicken stock
• ½ tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream

For the Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage:

• 500g large floury potatoes like Russets, peeled and cut into chunks.
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• ½ savoy cabbage, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Method

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Add a generous splash of sunflower oil in a oven-safe pan. Season the turkey legs, then add them to the pan and sear, turning once, until beautifully seared on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then remove the fat.

Melt the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Cook on a medium-high heat until fragrant, until the shallots and bacon take on some colour. Pour in the wine, then place the seared legs on top of the mixture. Pour in the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then whisk in the mustard and creme fraiche. Seal the pan tightly with foil and bake for an hour, or until the turkey legs are completely cooked through.

Key Point: Meanwhile, place the potato chunks in a large saucepan of water and cook for around 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then sauté the garlic for a couple of minutes. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a simmer, mixing from time to time, for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft. Adjust the seasoning, then remove from the heat.

In a third saucepan, combine the milk and the rest of the butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then return them to their pan. Mash the potatoes with the heated dairy mixture until smooth, then fold in the cooked cabbage and stir it through. Season again to taste, and reheat gently before serving.

When the braising is complete, serve with the creamy potato side and the aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.