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When we cook, regularly slow-cook chicken and rabbit legs, because all the preparation is finished in advance. During the holidays, I often employ for turkey legs – it’s a lovely way for serving them. Accompany it with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, though basmati rice, boiled new potatoes or roast carrots make fine alternatives.

Slow-Cooked Turkey with Herbs, Mustard & Cream, and Colcannon

This can easily be scaled up to feed more people – you’ll just need 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 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 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, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Cooking Instructions

Set the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Warm a couple of spoonfuls of neutral oil in a large, deep cast-iron frying pan. Pat the turkey legs dry and season, then lay them in the pan and brown, turning once, until nicely coloured on both sides. Take the turkey out to a plate, then pour out and discard the excess oil.

Melt the butter in the pan, then add the aromatics and bacon. Fry for five to 10 minutes, until the onions and bacon begin to brown. Add the white wine, then return the turkey on top of the vegetables. Add enough chicken stock so the turkey legs are halfway immersed, then gently mix in the mustard and creme fraiche. Cover the pan with foil and bake for an hour, or until the turkey legs are completely cooked through.

Key Point: While that's cooking, put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, warm a portion of the butter, then cook the diced garlic for two minutes. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a simmer, mixing from time to time, for until softened, until tender. Season, then set aside.

In a third saucepan, warm the milk and the leftover butter. Drain the cooked potatoes, then mash them in the same pot. Mash the potatoes with the creamy liquid until lump-free, then fold in the cooked cabbage and mix it in thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning once more, and reheat gently before serving.

Once the turkey is cooked, dish up with the creamy potato side and the aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.