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In our culinary practice, regularly braise chicken and rabbit legs, as the entire process is finished in advance. During the holidays, the same technique is perfect for turkey legs – it’s a lovely way for serving them. Accompany it with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, but steamed rice, steamed baby potatoes or caramelized carrots are also excellent.

Slow-Cooked Turkey with A Creamy Herb Sauce, and Colcannon

This can easily be scaled up to feed more people – simply require a bigger pot.

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 finely chopped
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
• 5 slices streaky bacon, chopped
• 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 like Russets, 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

Cooking Instructions

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a oven-safe pan. Pat the turkey legs dry and season, then lay them in the pan and fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then carefully tip out and dispose of the excess oil.

Add the butter in the pan, followed by the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Cook on a medium-high heat several minutes, until the shallots and bacon soften and color. Pour in the wine, then place the seared legs on top of the vegetables. Add enough chicken stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then whisk 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.

Key Point: Meanwhile, add the peeled potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for until tender, until tender when pricked with a fork.

Using a separate skillet, warm a portion of the butter, then add the garlic for a couple of minutes. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for until softened, until wilted. Adjust the seasoning, then keep warm.

In the meantime, in a pan, heat the milk gently and the remaining butter. Strain the softened potatoes, then mash them in the same pot. Mash the potatoes with the warm milk and butter until lump-free, then add the cabbage and combine well. Season again to taste, and hold over low heat before serving.

When the braising is complete, serve with the colcannon and the cooking liquid from the pan.