🔗 Share this article

In our culinary practice, we often braise chicken and rabbit legs, because every step is finished in advance. During the holidays, the same technique is perfect for turkey legs – it offers a superb approach to eat them. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, though basmati rice, boiled new potatoes or oven-roasted carrots would also go great.

Slow-Cooked Turkey with A Creamy Herb Sauce, and Creamy Potato & Cabbage

You can readily increase the portions for a larger gathering – simply require 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 minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 5 slices streaky bacon, diced
• 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 Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage:

• 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, shredded
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Directions

Set the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large, deep skillet. Pat the turkey legs dry and season, then lay them in the pan and brown, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then carefully tip out and dispose of the cooking fat.

Place the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Cook on a medium-high heat five to 10 minutes, until the onions and bacon begin to brown. Pour in the wine, then return the turkey on top of the aromatic base. Pour in the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then carefully stir in the dijon and creamy element. Seal the pan tightly with foil and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the turkey legs are fall-off-the-bone tender.

Chef's Note: While that's cooking, 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, warm a portion of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for two minutes. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a simmer, mixing from time to time, for 10-15 minutes, until soft. Add salt and pepper, then set aside.

Using another small pot, combine the milk and the remaining butter. Drain the cooked potatoes, then mash them in the same pot. Mash the potatoes with the creamy liquid until lump-free, then incorporate the greens and stir it through. 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 aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.