Pot-roast turkey drumstick
Turkey is not just for Christmas! The drumsticks cost very little and stretch a long way - perfect for a meaty pot-roast on a modest budget.
This pot-roast can be cooked in advance and frozen, check the tips section for freezing instructions.
Ingredients
- 1 x 825g/1lb 13oz turkey drumstick
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 carrots, trimmed
- 4 celery sticks, trimmed
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 500ml/18fl oz just-boiled water
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine (or chicken stock)
- 2 tbsp tomato pur茅e
- 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce
- 300g/10陆oz small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Season the turkey drumstick all over with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a flameproof, lidded casserole over a medium heat. Add the turkey drumstick and fry for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Chop the carrots and celery into roughly 2.5cm/1in lengths. Add the onion, celery and carrot to the casserole and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the herbs and bay leaf and continue to cook for a further 30-40 seconds.
Dissolve the chicken stock cube in the just-boiled water, then pour it into the casserole along with the wine (or extra chicken stock). Stir in the tomato pur茅e and the redcurrant jelly (or cranberry sauce) and return the turkey drumstick to the mixture.
Cover the casserole with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1陆 hours. After 1陆 hours, add the new potatoes to the casserole, turn the turkey drumstick over, then replace the lid and continue to cook for a further 1陆 hours, or until the turkey is very tender and the meat is falling off the bone.
Remove the turkey drumstick from the casserole and transfer it to a chopping board. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, spoon as much fat as possible from the surface of the casserole.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornflour with a tablespoon of cold water to form a thick paste. Stir this paste into the pot-roast sauce. Heat the sauce until it is simmering and continue to stir until thickened.
While the sauce is thickening, remove the skin from the turkey drumstick, then remove the meat from the bone in large chunks, discarding any bone or sinew.
To serve, spoon the pot-roast sauce into bowls and place equal amounts of the turkey meat on top of each portion. Serve with freshly steamed green cabbage.
Recipe Tips
Tip 1: Follow the method up to the point that the turkey and vegetables go into the oven, using just 250ml/9fl oz just-boiled water to make the stock, and transfer all the ingredients to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours, turning the drumstick and adding the potatoes after 2陆 hours. Remove the turkey leg, spoon of the excess fat then add the cornflour mixture to the pot, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring.
Tip 2: If making this dish in advance, freeze the turkey meat, off the bone, with the sauce and vegetables (but without the potatoes) in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat in a suitable dish in the microwave until piping hot throughout, stirring at least once.
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