Holiday Main Course Effortless: A Braised Turkey Legs Recipe with Colcannon

When we cook, we often slow-cook chicken and rabbit legs, since the entire process can be done beforehand. For Christmas, this method works wonderfully for turkey legs – it offers a superb approach to eat them. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, but fluffy rice, steamed baby potatoes or oven-roasted carrots are also excellent.

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

This can easily be scaled up for a larger gathering – all you need is an enlarged cooking vessel.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Turkey:

• 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 diced
• 2 shallots, peeled and quartered
• 5 slices streaky bacon, chopped
• 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 Potato Side:

• 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

Method

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a 23cm wide x 7cm high pan. Season the turkey legs, then place them in the hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the legs to a plate, then carefully tip out and dispose of the excess oil.

Add the butter in the pan, then add the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Cook on a medium-high heat several minutes, until the onions and bacon soften and color. Pour in the wine, then lay the turkey legs on top of the mixture. Pour in the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the dijon and creamy element. Place a foil lid on the pan and cook in the oven for about 60 minutes, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Pro Tip: At the same time, place the potato chunks in a pan of boiling water and cook for until tender, until tender when pricked with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for until aromatic. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a gentle heat, mixing from time to time, for until softened, 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 return them to their pan. Puree the potatoes with the warm milk and butter until lump-free, then incorporate the greens and combine well. Add final salt and pepper, and hold over low heat before serving.

Once the turkey is cooked, serve with the creamy potato side and the vegetables and juices from the pan.