🔗 Share this article

In our culinary practice, we often braise chicken and rabbit legs, as all the preparation is completed beforehand. For the festive season, the same technique is perfect for turkey legs – it offers a superb approach to eat them. Serve with colcannon, but steamed rice, boiled new potatoes or roast carrots are also excellent.

Slow-Cooked Turkey 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 finely chopped
• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 5 slices streaky bacon, cut into pieces
• 8 sage leaves preferably fresh
• 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 minced
• ½ savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Method

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Warm a couple of spoonfuls of neutral oil in a large, deep cast-iron frying pan. Season the turkey legs, then add them to the pan and brown, turning once, until beautifully seared on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then pour out and discard the cooking fat.

Add the butter in the pan, followed by the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Sauté over medium-high heat several minutes, until the aromatics take on some colour. Add the white wine, then lay the turkey legs on top of the aromatic base. Pour in the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the mustard and creme fraiche. Place a foil lid on the pan and roast for one hour, or until the turkey legs are fall-off-the-bone tender.

Chef's Note: At the same time, add the peeled 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, warm a portion of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for until aromatic. Add the cabbage and cook on a simmer, stirring occasionally, for until softened, until wilted. Add salt and pepper, then keep warm.

In a third saucepan, heat the milk gently and the rest of the butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then mash them in the same pot. Puree the potatoes with the heated dairy mixture until creamy, then add the cabbage and stir it through. Adjust the seasoning once more, and reheat gently before serving.

After the hour is up, serve with the creamy potato side and the cooking liquid from the pan.