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At our kitchen, we often slow-cook poultry and game legs, since the entire process is finished in advance. For the festive season, this method works wonderfully with turkey drumsticks – it’s a lovely way to eat them. Serve with buttery potato and greens, but basmati rice, boiled new potatoes or roast carrots make fine alternatives.

Slow-Cooked Turkey with A Creamy Herb Sauce, and Creamy Potato & Cabbage

You can readily increase the portions to feed more people – 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 minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
• 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 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

Directions

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Add a generous splash of sunflower oil in a large, deep skillet. Pat the turkey legs dry and season, then lay them in the pan and fry, cooking on both sides, until beautifully seared on both sides. Remove the legs to a plate, then carefully tip out and dispose of the cooking fat.

Melt the butter in the pan, followed by the aromatics and bacon. Fry for five to 10 minutes, until the onions and bacon begin to brown. Deglaze with the wine, then return the turkey on top of the aromatic base. Pour in the stock so the turkey legs are partially submerged, then gently mix in the mustard and creme fraiche. Place a foil lid on the pan and roast 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 pot of salted boiling water and cook for around 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a skewer.

Using a separate skillet, melt two tablespoons of the butter, then add the garlic for two minutes. Stir in the shredded savoy and cook on a gentle heat, mixing from time to time, for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft. Season, then keep warm.

In a third saucepan, combine the milk and the leftover butter. Once the potatoes are done, drain them, then put them back in the hot pot. Puree the potatoes with the warm milk and butter until lump-free, then incorporate the greens and combine well. Add final salt and pepper, and hold over low heat before serving.

After the hour is up, dish up with the colcannon and the vegetables and juices from the pan.