Fresh & Simple Feast Braised Turkey Legs with Pan Gravy

Transcription

1 Hearty flavors and from-the-earth vegetables mingle in a break from Thanksgiving tradition. Prep: 1 hr. Chill: 24 hr. Bake: 3-3/4 hr. Cook: 10 min. Oven: 400 degrees F/350 degrees F 2 turkey leg-thigh portions Copyright 2010, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved Page 1 of 5

2 Neck, wings, and backbone 1/2 bunch fresh thyme Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tsp. rice oil or vegetable oil 2 large onions, quartered 5 stalks celery, cut in thirds 3 medium carrots, halved crosswise 1/2 cup Chardonnay or dry white wine 6 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 bay leaves 20 black peppercorns 2 cups water Giblets (heart and gizzard) 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 bay leaf 2 Tbsp. water Fresh thyme or sage (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place turkey leg portions on a cutting board, skin sides down. With a sharp knife, slice the meat from the bone, using long clean strokes. Work around to the underside of the bone and completely remove bone, being careful not to cut through the meat. Carefully remove tendons on the inside of each leg.* Copyright 2010, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved Page 2 of 5

3 2. Place leg bones, neck, wings, and backbone in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Roast, uncovered, about 45 minutes or until browned. 3. Meanwhile, remove leaves from thyme and chop; reserve stems. Season the inside of the legs with the chopped thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Reshape legs and tie with 100 percent cotton kitchen string, tying 6 to 8 knots per leg. Season outside of legs with additional salt and pepper. 4. Place a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. Carefully add turkey legs; cook, turning every few minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove legs from pan. Drain fat, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan. 5. Add onion, celery, and carrots to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Carefully add wine to pan; stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add chicken stock, 2 bay leaves, the peppercorns, and the 2 cups water. Remove bones from oven and carefully add to pan (discard any bones that do not fit in the pan). Bring to boiling. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Add legs to pan. 6. Cover and roast about 2-1/2 hours or until tender. Chop reserved giblets; set aside. Remove legs from roasting pan. Strain cooking liquid, reserving 5 cups.** For gravy, in a large saucepan melt butter; add giblets and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes more. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid until smooth. Add 3-3/4 cups reserved liquid and 1 bay leaf. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a simmer; cook 5 minutes. Cool and chill overnight. Remove strings from turkey legs. Cut each leg into 5 pieces. Place in a casserole dish with the remaining 1 cup reserved liquid. 7. Place casserole dish in oven with Roasted Turkey Breast for the last 20 to 30 minutes of roasting or until heated through. Copyright 2010, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved Page 3 of 5

4 8. To reheat gravy, in a large saucepan bring the 2 tablespoons water to a simmer; whisk in chilled gravy, discarding bay leaf. Heat through. Sprinkle with fresh thyme or sage. Makes 8 (4-ounce) servings + leftovers. Tip: Look for a turkey that is not pre-brined or self-basting when preparing this recipe. *There are 5 to 7 tendons, varying from 1 to 3 inches long. To remove, place knife under tendons and cut away from you, being careful not to remove too much meat. **Additional broth may be reserved for use in other recipes. Each serving: 249 cal, 10 g fat, 138 mg chol, 324 mg sodium, 6 g carbo, 1 g fiber, 31 g pro. Debone Turkey Legs 1.Remove Legs To remove legs, pull leg away from body. With kitchen shears, cut through the skin where leg attaches. Push leg back to dislocate from backbone. Cut through joint to remove. 2. Cut Along Bone Place legs, skin sides down, on cutting board. With a thin sharp knife, start at end of thigh and cut along length of bone to loosen bone from meat. Lift and use bone as a guide to cut along the underside. 3. Remove Bones Cut through the skin around the base of the leg. Cut the length of the leg all the way to the joint. Cut along the bone to remove bone (attached at the joint). Cut around joint to completely remove bone. Copyright 2010, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved Page 4 of 5

5 Carefully remove tendons on the inside of each leg by holding each tendon (grip with a paper towel if needed) and cutting just below each tendon to separate it from the meat. Discard the tendons. 4. Season Turkey Season insides of deboned legs as directed in recipe. Roll legs. 5. Tie for Cooking Tie with kitchen string, beginning at each end. Continue to tie for a total of 6 to 8 ties per leg. Copyright 2010, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved Page 5 of 5