Culture

Braised Turkey Legs

Braised Turkey Legs
3.2 from 17 ratings
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For those who can’t get enough red meat on Thanksgiving, this is a great way to prepare turkey legs. Chef Michael Mina adds extra flavor by braising his in chicken stock with flavor-boosting ingredients like bacon, mushrooms, and thyme.
Servings
4
servings
Ingredients
  • one 15-pound turkey, legs, thighs, neck, wings, and gizzards reserved and crown set aside for roasting
  • grapeseed oil
  • 8 ounce bacon, cut int 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1/2 head celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup mushrooms, preferably beech
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 8 leaves sage
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 3 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  2. For the braise, set a roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stove top. Add enough grapeseed oil to just coat the pan. Pat the drumsticks, thighs, wings, neck, and gizzards dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Place all of the turkey parts in the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to brown the parts in batches in order to brown each part entirely.
  3. Transfer the turkey parts to a plate. Once all of the parts are browned, return the roasting pan to the stove and add enough grapeseed oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Sweat on medium heat until aromatic, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the tomato paste. Stir with a wooden spoon to coat the vegetables with the tomato paste. Cook down until the tomato paste is tacky, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and stir to combine. Add the white wine and reduce until dry. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly or until the flour is golden brown and has been absorbed by the fat in the pan.
  5. Add the chicken stock and place the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage, and parsley to the pot. To make retrieving the herbs easier, place them in a piece of cheesecloth that is tied to make a sachet and add to the pot. Whisk ingredients together. Season to taste.
  6. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and pour over the browned turkey parts in a large Dutch oven. Cover with lid and place in oven. Cook in the oven for 3 hours or until the meat falls easily off the bone. Remove braising pot from the oven. Cool legs in the braising liquid.
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