🔗 Share this article

At our kitchen, regularly simmer poultry and game legs, because every step is finished in advance. During the holidays, this method works wonderfully for turkey legs – it offers a superb approach for serving them. Pair it with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, although steamed rice, boiled new potatoes or oven-roasted carrots make fine alternatives.

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

The recipe is easily doubled to feed more people – you’ll just need a larger pan.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Braised Legs:

• 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 quartered
• 5 slices streaky bacon, cut into pieces
• 8 sage leaves fresh is best
• 70ml white wine a dry variety
• 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 minced
• ½ savoy cabbage, shredded
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Cooking Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large, deep cast-iron frying pan. Season the turkey legs, then place them in the hot oil and fry, cooking on both sides, until beautifully seared on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then remove the excess oil.

Add the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Fry for until fragrant, until the aromatics begin to brown. Deglaze with the wine, then place the seared legs on top of the vegetables. Add enough chicken stock so the turkey legs are covered halfway, then carefully stir in the dijon and creamy element. Seal the pan tightly with foil and bake for one hour, or until the turkey legs are completely cooked through.

Chef's Note: While that's cooking, place the potato chunks in a large saucepan of water and cook for around 20 minutes, until tender when pricked with a fork.

Using a separate skillet, warm a portion of the butter, then add the garlic for two minutes. Add the cabbage and cook on a low heat, mixing from time to time, for 10-15 minutes, until wilted. Add salt and pepper, then keep warm.

In the meantime, in a pan, heat the milk gently and the remaining butter. Drain the cooked potatoes, then return them to their pan. Puree the potatoes with the creamy liquid until smooth, then fold in the cooked cabbage and stir it through. Adjust the seasoning once more, and keep warm before serving.

After the hour is up, serve with the colcannon and the aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.