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In our culinary practice, regularly slow-cook chicken and rabbit legs, as the entire process is completed ahead of time. During the holidays, I often employ for turkey legs – this creates a delicious method to eat them. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, although steamed 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 to feed more people – you’ll just need an enlarged cooking vessel.

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 sliced
• 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 Potato Side:

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

Cooking Instructions

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Heat two tablespoons of neutral oil in a large, deep pan. Pat the turkey legs dry and season, then add them to the pan and fry, cooking on both sides, until beautifully seared on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then carefully tip out and dispose of the cooking fat.

Melt the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the garlic, shallots, bacon and sage. Sauté over medium-high heat several minutes, until the onions and bacon take on some colour. Add the white wine, then place the seared legs on top of the mixture. Introduce the stock so the turkey legs are covered halfway, then whisk in the dijon and creamy element. Seal the pan tightly with foil and bake for one hour, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Key Point: While that's cooking, add the peeled potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 20 minutes, until tender when pricked with a fork.

Using a separate skillet, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for two minutes. Incorporate the sliced cabbage and cook on a gentle heat, tossing now and then, for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Season, then remove from the heat.

In a third saucepan, combine the milk and the remaining butter. Drain the cooked potatoes, then put them back in the hot pot. Mash the potatoes with the heated dairy mixture until lump-free, then add the cabbage and combine well. Season again to taste, and keep warm before serving.

When the braising is complete, dish up with the colcannon and the cooking liquid from the pan.