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In our culinary practice, we often slow-cook drumsticks, since every step can be done in advance. For Christmas, the same technique is perfect on the holiday bird's legs – it offers a superb approach to eat them. Accompany it with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, although steamed rice, boiled new potatoes or oven-roasted carrots would also go great.

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

The recipe is easily doubled to feed more people – simply require a bigger pot.

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 quartered
• 5 slices streaky bacon, chopped
• 8 sage leaves fresh is best
• 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 such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into chunks.
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• ½ savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Directions

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Warm a couple of spoonfuls of neutral oil in a oven-safe cast-iron frying pan. Season the turkey legs, then add them to the pan and brown, cooking on both sides, until nicely coloured on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then remove the cooking fat.

Melt the butter in the pan, followed by the garlic, shallots, bacon and sage. Cook on a medium-high heat five to 10 minutes, until the onions and bacon take on some colour. Deglaze with the wine, then place the seared legs on top of the aromatic base. Add enough chicken stock so the turkey legs are covered halfway, then gently mix in the mustard and creme fraiche. Cover the pan with foil and cook in the oven for an hour, or until the turkey legs are fall-off-the-bone tender.

Key Point: While that's cooking, add the peeled potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for until tender, until soft when tested with a sharp knife.

In another saucepan, heat a couple of spoonfuls of the butter, then add the garlic for until aromatic. Incorporate the sliced cabbage and cook on a simmer, tossing now and then, for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft. Adjust the seasoning, then keep warm.

In a third saucepan, heat the milk gently and the leftover butter. Drain the cooked 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 stir it through. Add final salt and pepper, and keep warm before serving.

When the braising is complete, plate alongside the colcannon and the cooking liquid from the pan.