A great cook to breakdown those tough legs into fall off the bone tender meat. The turkey legs can be substituted for geese legs as well. This recipe was made for a large gathering after saving legs from a couple of seasons worth of turkeys, just split the ingredients in half or a quarter if cooking with less turkey legs, cooking times will still be about the same.

Eastern Turkey Leg Braise

Cook Time: 3.5-4hr

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 10-12 Turkey Legs (Drum and/or Thighs- ends of drums sawed off)

• 2 Cups Beef Stock

• 1 Can Coconut Milk (400ml/13.5oz)

• 1 Jar /Can Tomato Pure (710ml/24oz)

• 2 tbsp. Tomato Paste

• 1 tbsp. Red Curry Paste

• 2 large Carrots (diced)

• 1 large Red Onion (sliced)

• 1 large Sweet Onion (sliced)

• 2 Limes (zest & juice)

• 4 cloves of Garlic (sliced)

• 1 sprig of Rosemary

• 1 bunch of Thyme (tie rosemary and thyme together with butcher twine, easier to remove after cooking)

• 2 Cinnamon Sticks

• 3 tsp. Ginger Powder

• 5tsp. Garam Masala (2tsp. for dusting)

• ½ tsp. Cayenne Powder

• 2 tsp. Chili Powder

• 2 tsp. Celery Salt

• Flour (for dusting)

• Vegetable Oil

• S&P

 Serve with

Basmati Rice,

2-3 Limes (quartered)

Naan Bread.

Directions

  1.  Season the turkey with a little oil then 2 tsp. Garam Masala and S&P. Give the legs a dusting of flour.
  2.  Brown legs in batches over med-high heat in large and deep cast iron dutch oven with a good amount of oil. Don’t over crowd pot and make sure all sides are browned. Set meat aside as you cook.
  3.  Once all meat is browned and removed from pot, turn heat down to med-low and sauté carrots for a few minutes, adding a little more oil if need be.
  4.  Once carrots pickup a little colour, add Onions and cook for a few more minutes until they start to become translucent. Stirring often as they cook.
  5.  Then add sliced Garlic, Cinnamon Sticks and spices; Ginger, rest of Garam Masala, Cayenne, Chili, Celery Salt, S&P, along with fresh Thyme & Rosemary bundle. Stir into veggies and continue to cook for a few more minutes, stirring often.
  6.  Then add Tomato Paste & Curry Paste, stir in thoroughly and cook for a couple more minutes.
  7.  Add Tomato Pure, Coconut Milk, Beef Stalk, Lime Zest & Juice, turn heat up to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom with wooden spoon to release all the browned veggie bits. Once it comes to a boil turn heat to low, add all the meat back into pot, liquid should almost cover all the meat but some meat still should be showing. Cover with tight fighting lid and braise for 3-3.5hrs, stirring every 30min or so, making sure heat is not to high and things aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot too much. Once meat becomes tender, but not so tender it’s fully falling off the bone, it’s done.
  8.  Carefully remove all drums from the pot with some tongs, then pluck out any small cartilage pieces, they should all pretty much come out easily. Remind guests there still will be a few small cartilage fragments in the meat as they eat, along with possible shotgun pellets.
  9.  Place meat on top of some Basmati Rice, top with some sauce from the pot and a fresh squeeze of lime, serve with a piece of warmed up Naan Bread on the side.

Recipe by Michael E. Higgins

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