In our culinary practice, regularly simmer drumsticks, since all the preparation is finished ahead of time. For the festive season, the same technique is perfect with turkey drumsticks – it offers a superb approach to eat them. Serve with buttery potato and greens, but fluffy rice, boiled new potatoes or caramelized carrots make fine alternatives.
Braised Turkey Legs with Herbs, Mustard & Cream, and Colcannon
This can easily be scaled up to feed more people – you’ll just need an enlarged cooking vessel.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2
For the Main Dish:
- 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 minced
- 2 shallots, peeled and halved
- 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 such as Maris Piper, 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 neutral oil in a oven-safe skillet. Pat the turkey legs dry and season, then lay them in the pan and fry, cooking on both sides, until beautifully seared on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then carefully tip out and dispose of the fat.
Add the butter in the pan, followed by the aromatics and bacon. Fry for several minutes, until the aromatics soften and color. Deglaze with the wine, then return the turkey on top of the vegetables. Introduce the stock so the turkey legs are halfway immersed, then whisk in the dijon and creamy element. Cover the pan with foil and cook in the oven for an hour, or until the turkey legs are fall-off-the-bone tender.
Pro Tip: At the same time, place the potato chunks in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for around 20 minutes, until tender when pricked with a skewer.
In another saucepan, warm a portion of the butter, then sauté the garlic for two minutes. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a low heat, mixing from time to time, for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft. Adjust the seasoning, then set aside.
In a third saucepan, warm the milk and the leftover butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then mash them in the same pot. Mash the potatoes with the creamy liquid until smooth, then incorporate the greens and stir it through. Season again to taste, and hold over low heat before serving.
When the braising is complete, plate alongside the creamy potato side and the vegetables and juices from the pan.
