Braised Turkey Legs With Wild Mushroom Stuffing Recipes

ROASTED TURKEY TWO WAYS

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, separate legs from the rest of turkey and cut off backbone. Reserve breast for roasting.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Debone turkey legs. Remove silver skin and all tendons. With skin side down, cover with plastic wrap and pound out evenly. Season inside with salt and pepper.
• Add 8 ounces of mushroom stuffing evenly across middle section. Roll into a tight cylinder. Tie with butcher's string and close ends with skewers. Season outside with salt and pepper. Heat a roasting pan and add olive oil. Sear meat until golden brown.
• Remove legs from roasting pan. Add carrots, celery, onion and rosemary and cook until brown. Deglaze with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add turkey legs. Slowly braise the legs in the oven for about 2 hours until internal temperature is 130 degrees F.
• Remove foil and finish roasting to get color on the meat, until internal temperature is 140 degrees F.
• Remove legs and set aside on a platter. Cover with foil until ready to slice.
• Add 2 cups of pomegranate juice to the braising liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes then puree the sauce through a food mill. Carrots, onions and celery will thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit for about 30 minutes and with a small ladle, remove excess fat. Remove string and skewers. Slice into half-inch portions and serve with sauce.
• Render foie gras or chicken liver in saute pan. Remove and pour rendered fat over bread. Dice and reserve. (If you use chicken liver instead or foie gras, add 4 tablespoons of butter).
• Rinse dried porcini and soak in warm water. Drain and chop mushrooms, reserving liquid.
• Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat and add onions, celery and pancetta. Cook until vegetables become translucent. Combine dried mushrooms and fresh mushrooms and add reserved mushroom liquid and stock. Cook over medium heat and reduce until almost dry. Set aside.
• Place foie gras or chicken liver and dried bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add herbs, beaten eggs and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Fill legs of turkey according to recipe (or place stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven for 30 minutes).
• Mix butter, rosemary, salt and pepper, to taste until nice and smooth. With your hands, carefully separate turkey skin from the breast meat. Spread rosemary butter evenly between skin and meat. Season turkey breast with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.
• Place in roasting pan with a rack. If your oven is large enough, you can roast the turkey breast in the same oven while you braise the stuffed legs, which I prefer, because the steam from the braising liquid keeps the stuffing moist.
• Roast until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Baste every 15 minutes with the pan drippings.
• When breast is done, cover with foil and let rest in a warm place until you are ready to carve.
• Yield: 12 servings

BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Rinse turkey legs and pat dry; season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat and add olive oil. Add turkey legs, skin side down, working in batches, if necessary. Cook, turning, until turkey legs are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer legs to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon of rendered fat from Dutch oven.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot and slightly reduced, 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium-high and add carrots, celery, and leeks to Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, sage, bay leaves, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add turkey legs, skin side down; cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 40 minutes. Uncover, turn turkey legs, and continue cooking uncovered until legs are tender, 45 to 50 minutes more.
• Transfer turkey legs to a serving platter. Skim fat from top of braising liquid and discard; season braising liquid with salt and pepper, and spoon over turkey legs. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and thyme.

BRAISED TURKEY LEGS WITH WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING

Steps:

• First prepare the stuffing by melting butter in saute pan. Poor over bread cubes. Set aside.
• Rinse dried porcini and soak in warm water for 15 minutes Drain and chop, reserving liquid.
• Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat and add onions, celery, and bacon. Cook until vegetables become translucent. Add porcini, fresh mushrooms, reserved mushroom liquid and stock. Cook over medium heat and reduce until almost dry.
• Add vegetables to bread cubes along with parsley, sage, rosemary, and beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Now prepare turkey leg & thigh sections by removing bones, silver skin, and all tendons. With skin side down, cover with plastic wrap and pound out evenly. Season inside with salt and pepper.
• Add 8 ounces of mushroom stuffing evenly across middle section. Roll into a tight cylinder. Tie with butcher's string. Season outside with salt and pepper. Heat a roasting pan and add olive oil. Sear meat until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
• Add carrots, celery, onion and rosemary and cook until brown. Deglaze with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add turkey. Cover roasting pan with foil and braise in oven for about 2 hours and until internal temperature is 130 degrees.
• Remaining stuffing may be added to a buttered gratin dish and baked in the 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and finish roasting to get color on the meat, until internal temperature is 140 degrees. Remove legs, set aside on platter, and cover with foil until ready to slice.
• Add 2 cups of pomegranate juice to the braising liquid and simmer for 10 minutes then puree the sauce through a food mill or a with a blender. The vegetables will thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the turkey into half-inch portions and serve with sauce.