Buffalo Cranberry Turkey Legs Recipes

CRANBERRY GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and rinse inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine softened butter, 1 tablespoon fine herbs, crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons marmalade and onion flakes. Use a fork to mix together until well combined.
• In a small bowl combine poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon fine herbs, salt and pepper.
• Use your hand to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Work half of the butter mixture under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the skin and season with the poultry seasoning mixture inside and out. Stuff the inside of the turkey cavity with oranges and leeks. (Truss if desired.) Add any leftover oranges and leeks to a shallow roasting pan; pour in broth and set aside. Insert a pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breastbone, in the thickest part of the breast. Place turkey breast side up on a rack over the vegetables in the roasting pan. Place in oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Combine orange juice, remaining marmalade, jellied cranberries, and remaining fine herbs in a small saucepan and simmer until jelly melts. Continue simmering until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes; keep warm.
• After the turkey has cooked for 2 hours brush on the glaze mixture. When the thermometer pops up or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 3 hours total.
• Remove from oven and let turkey rest 15 minutes before carving.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE GLAZED TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, orange peel, orange juice and cranberry sauce to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Cool completely. Set aside 1/2 cup cranberry mixture for basting; refrigerate remaining cranberry mixture for serving.
• Fold wings across back of turkey so tips are touching. Tie legs together with heavy string. On rack in shallow roasting pan, place turkey, breast side up. Brush butter over turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone.
• Roast uncovered 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, basting with 1/2 cup cranberry mixture after 2 hours. Turkey is done when thermometer reads at least 165°F and legs move easily when lifted or twisted. Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with reserved cranberry mixture. Garnish with herbs, cranberries and kumquats.

ROASTED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse the turkey legs and pat dry.
• Stand the turkey legs upright (as if the turkey were standing). Press a knife downward into the deep tissue, creating 2 or 3 long pockets. Press a piece of celery into each opening. Pull back the skin on the legs, rub with butter, and season with a little salt. Put the skin back into place, rub with more butter, and season lightly with salt. Lay the legs in a roasting pan.
• Roast uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the legs are golden brown and the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Add more water if needed while roasting, and baste occasionally with the juices or butter.

TURKEY BRAISED WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine tablespoon of butter with oil in deep skillet or casserole large enough for turkey legs to fit comfortably. Turn heat to medium high; after a minute add garlic and thyme. Cook for a minute, add turkey legs. Brown on both sides (they will brown unevenly, because of their shape), sprinkling with salt and pepper, and stirring garlic so it does not burn. Remove turkey.
• Add onion, mushrooms, sugar, pinch of salt, and some pepper, and cook; stir occasionally, and adjust heat so vegetables do not burn. When very soft, add 1 cup liquid, half the zest, and cranberries. Bring to boil, return turkey to pan; cover and adjust the heat for a steady simmer.
• Cook about 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes and adding more liquid if necessary, until meat is very tender. Taste sauce, and add more salt, pepper, and sugar if necessary. Remove meat; if sauce is soupy, raise heat and reduce a little; stir in remaining butter. Carve meat as neatly as you can; serve on a bed of sauce, garnish with remaining orange zest.

BUFFALO CRANBERRY TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a couple sheets of foil, for easy clean up. Then place an oven-safe wire rack onto the baking sheet. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss together the turkey legs, olive oil, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning until evenly coated. Place the turkey legs onto the wire rack over the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, turning over halfway.
• In the meantime, place the cranberry sauce into a blender or food process with a splash of water and blend until smooth. Pour out into a medium saucepan, along with the buffalo sauce and honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened and reduced by a third, about 15 minutes.
• After the turkey legs have cooked for 30 minutes, baste them with the cranberry buffalo sauce every 15 minutes, turning them over after each basting. Continue cooking and basting them for another hour and a half or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F.
• Remove from the oven and baste once more. Allow to rest for about 15 minutes before transferring to a plate or platter. Garnish with a sprinkling of blue cheese and fresh cranberries before serving.

TURKEY LEGS WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

Steps:

• Place turkey legs in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil and seasonings. Pour over turkey legs. , Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn legs twice and baste occasionally with pan drippings. Remove from the oven. , For gravy, in a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the gravy, mushrooms, parsley, garlic powder and onion; heat through. Spoon over turkey legs. , Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted in turkey reads 180°, basting frequently with pan drippings. If desired, serve with noodles.

TURKEY THIGHS WITH PICKLED CRANBERRIES AND ONIONS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Finely grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from the lemon and put it in a small bowl with the garlic and thyme. Halve the lemon and squeeze 1 tablespoon of the juice into the bowl. Mix everything into a paste.
• Pat the turkey thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Smear turkey with the paste and place thighs on a plate. Refrigerate, uncovered, so the skin can dry out, for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Meanwhile, squeeze the remaining juice from the lemon halves into a medium bowl. Add the onion, cranberries, lime juice, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing well. Let the mixture sit at room temperature, tossing occasionally, until the onions wilt and turn pink, 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until serving. (These can be made up to 3 days in advance.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put turkey thighs on a baking pan and dot with butter. Roast the thighs for 40 to 50 minutes, until the skin is crisp, the meat is cooked through and the juices run clear. (No need to rest here.)
• Serve turkey with a little of the cranberries and pickles on top, with herbs scattered over everything.