🔗 Share this article

In our culinary practice, regularly braise chicken and rabbit legs, since the entire process is finished ahead of time. For the festive season, I often employ with turkey drumsticks – it offers a superb approach to enjoy them. Serve with colcannon, though basmati rice, simple boiled potatoes or caramelized carrots make fine alternatives.

Braised Turkey Legs with A Creamy Herb Sauce, and Creamy Potato & Cabbage

This can easily be scaled up for extra guests – simply require a bigger pot.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Braised Legs:

• Sunflower oil or a mild cooking 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 quartered
• 5 slices streaky bacon, diced
• 8 sage leaves fresh is best
• 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 minced
• ½ savoy cabbage, shredded
• 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 cast-iron frying pan. Season the turkey legs, then add them to the pan and sear, turning once, until nicely coloured on both sides. Transfer the legs to a plate, then remove the cooking fat.

Place the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the garlic, shallots, bacon and sage. Sauté over medium-high heat five to 10 minutes, until the shallots and bacon soften and color. Pour in the wine, then return the turkey on top of the aromatic base. Add enough chicken stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix 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.

Pro Tip: At the same time, add the peeled potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for until tender, until soft when tested with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, warm a portion of the butter, then add the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Season, then keep warm.

In a third saucepan, heat the milk gently and the remaining butter. Drain the cooked potatoes, then put them back in the hot pot. Mash the potatoes with the creamy liquid until lump-free, then add the cabbage and stir it through. Adjust the seasoning once more, and reheat gently before serving.

After the hour is up, dish up with the colcannon and the aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.