Braised Turkey Thighs with Mushrooms, Leeks, and Sage
Braising turkey thighs is an effective technique to make the tougher cuts tender while adding lots of flavor. This preparation uses reduced white wine and chicken stock along with leeks, mushrooms, aromatics and herbs to build a rich, slightly thick sauce. Serve accompanied by warm biscuits to sop up any sauce left in the bottom of the bowl.
Serves: 2
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh parsley
¼ tsp. whole black peppercorns
8-10 fresh sage leaves
2 bone-in wild turkey thighs, all silverskin removed
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. bacon fat, divided
¼. c. unsalted butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 c. chicken stock
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 large leek (about 6-7 oz.) cut into 1” rounds
1 c. dry white wine
Preheat oven to 350°. Make a bouquet garni with the bay leaf, parsley, peppercorns and sage leaves (using cheesecloth and kitchen twine) and place in a medium oven-proof pot. Pat thighs dry using paper towels, season both sides lightly with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour, shaking off any extra. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high and melt 2 Tbsp. bacon fat. Add the thighs and brown on both sides (about 4-5 minutes each). Remove from heat and put in pot on top of the herbs. Wipe the sauté pan clean, reduce heat to medium-low, add 2 Tbsp. butter and the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Add the chicken stock, bring to a medium boil and cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, strain and pour over the thighs. Cover and bake for 1 hour.
While thighs cook, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high, add remaining 2 Tbsp. of bacon fat and cook mushrooms until they stop releasing liquid. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and the leeks. Shake the pan to stir and cook until the cut ends of the leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until only enough liquid remains to coat the bottom of the pan (AKA “au sec”). Remove from heat.
After the first hour of braising turn the thighs over and add the mushrooms, leeks and reduced wine. Cover and return to the oven for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a meat fork can be inserted easily into the thickest part of the meat. Remove thighs from the sauce and cool just until they can be handled. Remove meat from bones and pull into bite-size pieces, removing any remaining silverskin or gristle from between meat sections. Return meat to sauce and heat through, tasting and adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve in a shallow bowl garnished with Fried Sage Leaves (recipe below).
Fried Sage Leaves
¼. c. olive oil
1 bunch fresh sage leaves (about 30), washed and pinched off the stems at the base of the leaf
Coarse Kosher salt
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry 6-8 leaves at a time until crisp, about 5 seconds. Remove to drain on paper towels and sprinkle immediately with coarse kosher salt.
Many of us have a “Bucket List” of special things we hope to experience in life. Harvesting a wild turkey has been on my list for years but for some reason success always eluded me. I would be in the woods and the birds wouldn’t. A herd of curious cows would wander over and chew on the decoys. I would wait too long to click off the safety and the birds would hear it (darn turkeys and their sharp hearing).
Shortly after moving to Richmond County a generous local friend and seasoned turkey hunter offered me the chance to go with him. I couldn’t refuse. Our second morning out was a thrilling success and with my first gobbler bagged I had a new culinary challenge. I wanted to use as much of the meat as possible. Often just the breasts are used because the legs on a turkey do a lot of work and, therefore, are lean and tough. After my friend filleted the breasts for me (any real gentleman would), I trimmed out the large thighs and drumsticks and excitedly took my turkey meat home along with a beautiful tail fan, a hefty 11” beard and a lifelong memory.