Holiday Centerpiece Simplified: A Slow-Cooked Turkey Legs Dish with Colcannon

When we cook, frequently slow-cook drumsticks, since the entire process is completed ahead of time. For the festive season, I often employ for turkey legs – this creates a delicious method to enjoy them. Accompany it with colcannon, but steamed rice, steamed baby potatoes or oven-roasted carrots would also go great.

Simmered Drumsticks with Sage, Mustard and Creme Fraiche, and Creamy Potato & Cabbage

This can easily be scaled up for extra guests – all you need is a bigger pot.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Turkey:

• 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 sliced
• 5 slices streaky bacon, diced
• 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 Colcannon:

• 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, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Cooking Instructions

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Warm a couple of spoonfuls of neutral oil in a 23cm wide x 7cm high cast-iron frying pan. Liberally salt and pepper the drumsticks, then add them to the pan and sear, cooking on both sides, until nicely coloured on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then remove the fat.

Add the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Sauté over medium-high heat five to 10 minutes, until the shallots and bacon soften and color. Pour in the wine, then lay the turkey legs on top of the vegetables. Introduce the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the mustard and creme fraiche. Seal the pan tightly with foil and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Pro Tip: Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for around 20 minutes, until tender when pricked with a skewer.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage and cook on a simmer, tossing now and then, for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Add salt and pepper, then remove from the heat.

In the meantime, in a pan, combine the milk and the remaining butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then put them back in the hot pot. Crush the potatoes with the heated dairy mixture until smooth, then add the cabbage and stir it through. Season again to taste, and hold over low heat before serving.

Once the turkey is cooked, serve with the colcannon and the vegetables and juices from the pan.