🔗 Share this article

At our kitchen, frequently slow-cook poultry and game legs, as every step is finished ahead of time. During the holidays, the same technique is perfect with turkey drumsticks – it offers a superb approach to eat them. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, although fluffy rice, boiled new potatoes or roast carrots make fine alternatives.

Braised Turkey Legs with Sage, Mustard and Creme Fraiche, and Creamy Potato & Cabbage

You can readily increase the portions to feed more people – simply require a larger pan.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Turkey:

• 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 halved
• 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 such as Maris Piper, 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

Method

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Add a generous splash of sunflower oil in a oven-safe skillet. Liberally salt and pepper the drumsticks, then lay them in the pan and brown, flipping once, until beautifully seared on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then pour out and discard the excess oil.

Add the butter in the pan, followed by the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Fry for until fragrant, until the shallots and bacon soften and color. Add the white wine, then place the seared legs on top of the vegetables. Introduce the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the mustard and creme fraiche. Seal the pan tightly with foil and cook in the oven for about 60 minutes, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Key Point: While that's cooking, put the potatoes in a large saucepan of water and cook for around 20 minutes, until tender when pricked with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then add the garlic for two minutes. Incorporate the sliced cabbage and cook on a gentle heat, tossing now and then, for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Add salt and pepper, then keep warm.

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 heated dairy mixture until smooth, then incorporate the greens and mix it in thoroughly. Add final salt and pepper, and keep warm before serving.

After the hour is up, serve with the colcannon and the cooking liquid from the pan.