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At our kitchen, regularly braise poultry and game legs, since the entire process is finished in advance. For the festive season, this method works wonderfully for turkey legs – it’s a lovely way to eat them. Pair it with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, but steamed rice, steamed baby potatoes or roast carrots would also go great.

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 a larger pan.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Main Dish:

• 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 minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 5 slices streaky bacon, cut into pieces
• 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 chopped
• 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 sunflower oil in a oven-safe skillet. Liberally salt and pepper the drumsticks, then place them in the hot oil and brown, flipping once, until beautifully seared on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then remove the fat.

Place the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Fry for several minutes, until the shallots and bacon take on some colour. Deglaze with the wine, then lay the turkey legs on top of the mixture. Introduce the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the dijon and creamy element. Cover the pan with foil and roast for about 60 minutes, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Key Point: Meanwhile, place the potato chunks in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for until tender, until soft when tested with a fork.

Using a separate skillet, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then sauté the garlic for until aromatic. Incorporate the sliced cabbage and cook on a simmer, tossing now and then, for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft. Adjust the seasoning, then remove from the heat.

In a third saucepan, combine the milk and the leftover butter. Drain the cooked potatoes, then put them back in the hot pot. Puree the potatoes with the creamy liquid until lump-free, then fold in the cooked cabbage and combine well. Adjust the seasoning once more, and keep warm before serving.

Once the turkey is cooked, plate alongside the colcannon and the cooking liquid from the pan.