Stuffed turkey legs

Name: Stuffed turkey legs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: Serves 4

This festive turkey leg recipe is a great alternative to the whole roast turkey.

If you’re not keen on carving, then these boned and stuffed turkey legs are perfect for Christmas Day and they serve a small group with no waste!

Ingredients

2 turkey legs, boned (ask your butcher to do this if they don’t already come this way)
Olive oil, for frying

For the stuffing

2 turkey legs, boned (ask your butcher to do this if they don’t already come this way)
Olive oil, for frying

For the stuffing

To make the stuffing, fry the shallot in the butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat, until lightly coloured. Add the mushrooms and fry until softened. Season, then add the bacon and fry until golden. Set aside to cool.
Put the chicken in a food processor and purée. Add 1 tbsp egg and the cream and whizz again. Put in a bowl, fold in the tarragon, spinach and mushroom mixture, and season.
Lay the boned turkey legs between layers of cling film and, using a rolling pin, bash out a little to flatten evenly. Spoon in the stuffing and reshape into a turkey leg, making sure the skin covers the meat. Tie with butcher’s string to secure.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/ gas 5. Heat a large frying pan, add a glug of oil, then add the turkey and cook to colour on all sides. Transfer to a rack in a roasting tin and season.
Roast for 1¼ hours. Insert a skewer into the middle of a leg – if the juices run clear, it’s cooked. Serve with mashed potato, Brussels sprouts and roasted parsnips.

To make the stuffing, fry the shallot in the butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat, until lightly coloured. Add the mushrooms and fry until softened. Season, then add the bacon and fry until golden. Set aside to cool.
Put the chicken in a food processor and purée. Add 1 tbsp egg and the cream and whizz again. Put in a bowl, fold in the tarragon, spinach and mushroom mixture, and season.
Lay the boned turkey legs between layers of cling film and, using a rolling pin, bash out a little to flatten evenly. Spoon in the stuffing and reshape into a turkey leg, making sure the skin covers the meat. Tie with butcher’s string to secure.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/ gas 5. Heat a large frying pan, add a glug of oil, then add the turkey and cook to colour on all sides. Transfer to a rack in a roasting tin and season.
Roast for 1¼ hours. Insert a skewer into the middle of a leg – if the juices run clear, it’s cooked. Serve with mashed potato, Brussels sprouts and roasted parsnips.