Festive Star Dish Made Easy: A Slow-Cooked Drumsticks Dish with Colcannon

When we cook, regularly simmer chicken and rabbit legs, because the entire process is finished ahead of time. For Christmas, I often employ with turkey drumsticks – it’s a lovely way to eat them. Accompany it with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, although fluffy rice, simple boiled potatoes or caramelized carrots are also excellent.

Braised Turkey Legs with Herbs, Mustard & Cream, and Creamy Potato & Cabbage

The recipe is easily doubled for a larger gathering – you’ll just need a larger pan.

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 Colcannon:

• 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

Method

Set the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Warm a couple of spoonfuls of sunflower oil in a 23cm wide x 7cm high cast-iron frying pan. Season the turkey legs, then add them to the pan and brown, flipping once, until nicely coloured on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then pour out and discard the fat.

Add the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the garlic, shallots, bacon and sage. Sauté over medium-high heat several minutes, until the onions and bacon soften and color. Deglaze with the wine, then place the seared legs on top of the vegetables. Add enough chicken stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the dijon and creamy element. Place a foil lid on the pan and cook in the oven for about 60 minutes, or until the turkey legs are fall-off-the-bone tender.

Pro Tip: While that's cooking, add the peeled potatoes in a large saucepan of water and cook for until tender, until easily pierced with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, heat a couple of spoonfuls of the butter, then sauté the garlic for a couple of minutes. Incorporate the sliced cabbage and cook on a low heat, tossing now and then, for until softened, until soft. Season, then set aside.

In the meantime, in a pan, combine the milk 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 warm milk and butter until smooth, then add the cabbage and combine well. Adjust the seasoning once more, and reheat gently before serving.

When the braising is complete, serve with the creamy potato side and the vegetables and juices from the pan.