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When we cook, regularly slow-cook chicken and rabbit legs, since every step is completed beforehand. For the festive season, I often employ with turkey drumsticks – it’s a lovely way for serving them. Accompany it with colcannon, although basmati rice, steamed baby potatoes or oven-roasted carrots would also go great.

Braised Turkey Legs with Herbs, Mustard & Cream, and Colcannon

The recipe is easily doubled for a larger gathering – all you need is 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 minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and quartered
• 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 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

Cooking Instructions

Set the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Add a generous splash of sunflower oil in a oven-safe skillet. Liberally salt and pepper the drumsticks, then add them to the pan and sear, flipping once, until nicely coloured on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then remove the fat.

Add the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Fry for several minutes, until the onions and bacon begin to brown. Add the white wine, then place the seared legs on top of the mixture. Pour in the stock so the turkey legs are covered halfway, then carefully stir in the mustard and creme fraiche. Cover the pan with foil and cook in the oven for an hour, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Key Point: Meanwhile, add the peeled potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.

In another saucepan, heat a couple of spoonfuls of the butter, then add the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage and cook on a gentle heat, mixing from time to time, for until softened, until wilted. Add salt and pepper, then set aside.

In the meantime, in a pan, heat the milk gently and the leftover butter. Strain the softened potatoes, then return them to their pan. Puree the potatoes with the creamy liquid until lump-free, then add the cabbage and mix it in thoroughly. Season again to taste, and reheat gently before serving.

After the hour is up, plate alongside the creamy potato side and the aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.