🔗 Share this article

At our kitchen, regularly simmer poultry and game legs, since all the preparation is completed ahead of time. For Christmas, the same technique is perfect for turkey legs – it offers a superb approach for serving them. Serve with buttery potato and greens, although fluffy rice, simple boiled potatoes or caramelized carrots are also excellent.

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

This can easily be scaled up for a larger gathering – simply require an enlarged cooking vessel.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Main Dish:

• 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 quartered
• 5 slices streaky bacon, diced
• 8 sage leaves preferably fresh
• 70ml white wine a dry variety
• 60-100ml chicken stock
• ½ tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream

For the Colcannon:

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

Cooking Instructions

Set the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Add a generous splash of neutral oil in a 23cm wide x 7cm high skillet. Liberally salt and pepper the drumsticks, then add them to the pan and fry, turning once, until beautifully seared on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then remove the fat.

Place the butter in the pan, followed by the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Sauté over medium-high heat five to 10 minutes, until the aromatics take on some colour. Pour in the wine, then place the seared legs on top of the aromatic base. Introduce the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the dijon and creamy element. Seal the pan tightly with foil and cook in the oven for an hour, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Key Point: Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for around 20 minutes, until tender when pricked with a sharp knife.

Using a separate skillet, heat a couple of spoonfuls of the butter, then sauté the garlic for two minutes. Incorporate the sliced cabbage and cook on a gentle heat, mixing from time to time, for until softened, until tender. Add salt and pepper, then keep warm.

In the meantime, in a pan, warm the milk and the remaining butter. Strain the softened potatoes, then put them back in the hot pot. Crush the potatoes with the creamy liquid until creamy, then incorporate the greens and combine well. Season again to taste, and keep warm before serving.

Once the turkey is cooked, plate alongside the colcannon and the vegetables and juices from the pan.