Festive Star Dish Made Easy: A Simmered Drumsticks Dish with Creamy Potato & Cabbage

At our kitchen, frequently braise drumsticks, since the entire process is completed beforehand. For the festive season, the same technique is perfect for turkey legs – it offers a superb approach to enjoy them. Serve with colcannon, although basmati rice, simple boiled potatoes or caramelized carrots make fine alternatives.

Braised Turkey Legs with Sage, Mustard and Creme Fraiche, and Creamy Potato & Cabbage

This can easily be scaled up for extra guests – simply require 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 minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
• 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 such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into chunks.
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• ½ savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Cooking Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Warm a couple of spoonfuls of neutral oil in a large, deep skillet. Liberally salt and pepper the drumsticks, then add them to the pan and fry, turning once, until nicely coloured on both sides. Transfer the legs to a plate, then pour out and discard the fat.

Add the butter in the pan, followed by the garlic, shallots, bacon and sage. Cook on a medium-high heat until fragrant, until the onions and bacon soften and color. Deglaze with the wine, then return the turkey on top of the aromatic base. Introduce the stock so the turkey legs are halfway immersed, then carefully stir in the dijon and creamy element. Cover the pan with foil and cook in the oven for an hour, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Pro Tip: While that's cooking, put the potatoes in a large saucepan of water and cook for around 20 minutes, until tender when pricked with a skewer.

In another saucepan, warm a portion of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for until aromatic. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a simmer, stirring occasionally, for until softened, until soft. Season, then remove from the heat.

In the meantime, in a pan, warm the milk and the rest of the butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then put them back in the hot pot. Mash the potatoes with the warm milk and butter until lump-free, then fold in the cooked cabbage and mix it in thoroughly. Add final salt and pepper, and keep warm before serving.

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