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At our kitchen, we often slow-cook poultry and game legs, because all the preparation is completed ahead of time. During the holidays, this method works wonderfully with turkey drumsticks – it offers a superb approach to eat them. Serve with buttery potato and greens, but basmati rice, steamed baby potatoes or caramelized carrots make fine alternatives.

Braised Turkey Legs with Sage, Mustard and Creme Fraiche, and Colcannon

The recipe is easily doubled to feed more people – you’ll just need a larger pan.

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 minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 5 slices streaky bacon, cut into pieces
• 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 Potato Side:

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

Method

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Heat two tablespoons of neutral oil in a 23cm wide x 7cm high cast-iron frying pan. Pat the turkey legs dry and season, then lay them in the pan and sear, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the legs to a plate, then remove the cooking fat.

Melt the butter in the pan, followed by the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Sauté over medium-high heat several minutes, until the shallots and bacon soften and color. Add the white wine, then lay the turkey legs on top of the aromatic base. Pour in the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then carefully stir in the mustard and creme fraiche. Cover the pan with foil and roast for one hour, or until the turkey legs are fall-off-the-bone tender.

Chef's Note: At the same time, place the potato chunks in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 20 minutes, until soft when tested with a fork.

In another saucepan, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage and cook on a gentle heat, mixing from time to time, for 10-15 minutes, until soft. Adjust the seasoning, then set aside.

In a third saucepan, heat the milk gently and the leftover butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then mash them in the same pot. Crush the potatoes with the warm milk and butter until creamy, then fold in the cooked cabbage and stir it through. Add final salt and pepper, and hold over low heat before serving.

Once the turkey is cooked, plate alongside the colcannon and the aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.