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In our culinary practice, we often slow-cook poultry and game legs, because the entire process is completed in advance. For Christmas, the same technique is perfect on the holiday bird's legs – it’s a lovely way to enjoy them. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage, though basmati rice, boiled new potatoes or caramelized carrots are also excellent.

Slow-Cooked Turkey with A Creamy Herb Sauce, and Colcannon

This can easily be scaled up for a larger gathering – you’ll just need a bigger pot.

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 2

For the Main Dish:

• Sunflower oil or a mild cooking 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 quartered
• 5 slices streaky bacon, cut into pieces
• 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 chopped
• ½ savoy cabbage, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• 100ml milk whole or semi-skimmed

Directions

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Add a generous splash of sunflower oil in a oven-safe cast-iron frying pan. Season the turkey legs, then place them in the hot oil and brown, flipping once, until nicely coloured on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then carefully tip out and dispose of the excess oil.

Melt the butter in the pan, and then incorporate the chopped garlic, shallots, diced bacon and sage leaves. Fry for several minutes, until the shallots and bacon take on some colour. Deglaze with the wine, then return the turkey on top of the mixture. Add enough chicken stock so the turkey legs are halfway immersed, then gently mix in the dijon and creamy element. Cover the pan with foil and roast for one hour, or until the turkey legs can bend in half with ease.

Key Point: While that's cooking, place the potato chunks in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for until tender, until tender when pricked with a skewer.

Meanwhile, in a second pan, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then add the garlic for two minutes. Add the cabbage and cook on a low heat, mixing from time to time, for until softened, until soft. Adjust the seasoning, then keep warm.

In a third saucepan, warm the milk and the rest of the butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then mash them in the same pot. Mash the potatoes with the heated dairy mixture until lump-free, then fold in the cooked cabbage and mix it in thoroughly. Add final salt and pepper, and keep warm before serving.

Once the turkey is cooked, plate alongside the colcannon and the aromatics and rich sauce from the pan.