Turkey au vin
It is tricky to roast the perfect turkey, with breast meat still succulent yet dark meat properly cooked through, and the bigger the bird the harder it is. Then there’s the giblets and the gravy to mess around with. There is an easier way: two dishes from one bird that pleases everyone and gives you a welcome head start on the big feast. The turkey ‘au vin’ embraces legs, wings, and the neck and gizzard if you like. This leaves the ‘crown’ (the breast on-the-bone) ready to roast fast and easy on the day. The all-important gravy is the full-flavoured liquor from this slow-cooked dish. Just like the classic coq au vin, this is better made the day before and left to mellow overnight in the fridge. Ask your butcher or supplier to prepare the turkey for you: you want the legs as drumsticks and thighs, and the wings whole.
Method
Serves 6–8 (based on a 4–5kg turkey)
Preheat the oven to 140°C/Fan 120°C/Gas 2. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan, add the bacon and cook, stirring, until it takes on a little colour. Transfer to a flameproof casserole dish or large saucepan.
Now brown the turkey pieces in the pan (including the neck and gizzard), turning to colour them evenly. You’ll need to do this in a couple of batches. Transfer the turkey to the casserole. Add a dash more oil to the pan and brown the onions, carrots and celery; add those too.
Add the garlic to the frying pan, then pour in the cider brandy to deglaze, stirring and scraping up the bits, then carefully add the wine. Pour the hot booze into the turkey pot, adding the herbs and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook in the oven for at least 2 hours until the meat is tender and almost falling from the bone. (Or simmer very gently over a low hob.)
Strain the liquor into a separate pan so you can tweak and perfect your ‘gravy’. If you want more ‘depth, add a dash of soy and a splash of coffee, but not so much that you actually taste either of those things. If you want a touch of sweetness, add a little redcurrant jelly.
If you are happy with a thin (but tasty) jus, pour it back over the turkey pieces now. If you want it a bit thicker, bring to a gentle simmer, then add the ‘roux’, a small piece at a time, whisking as you go. It doesn’t take much to thicken the sauce, so go carefully and let it simmer for a minute before adding more roux. When you have sauce perfection, pour it back over the turkey and leave to cool. Keep in the fridge until the Christmas feast.
Gently reheat the turkey in the sauce, and serve everyone the tender meat (on or off the bone), alongside the carved meat from the crown, with lots of the liquor/gravy/sauce to accompany both.
Ingredients
3–4 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
250g belly bacon or pancetta, diced 2 turkey legs, cut into drumsticks
and thighs
2 turkey wings (plus neck and gizzard, if you have it)
2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
4 celery sticks, cut into 3cm lengths
4 garlic cloves, crushed
150ml apple cider brandy
500ml red wine
2–3 bay leaves
A sprig of thyme
Sea salt and black pepper
Saucey treats (optional):
A dash of soy sauce
2–3 tsp strong coffee
A knob of softened butter mixed with
2–3 tsp flour (to make a ‘roux’) 1⁄2–1 tsp redcurrant jelly
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