Red Wine–Braised Turkey Legs with Broccolini, Latkes, Gribenes and Applesauce

Red Wine–Braised Turkey Legs

A gentle, covered braise softens the legs' connective tissue without drying the meat. Browning first builds the savory foundation for the accompanying jus.

Ingredients

• 4 lb bone-in, skin-on turkey drumsticks or whole legs, cut at the joint if needed to fit the pot
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 3 cups unsalted gluten-free chicken or turkey stock, plus more as needed
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat the turkey very dry and season with the salt and pepper.
2. Heat the ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the turkey in batches, allowing 4–6 minutes on each broad surface. Transfer to a tray.
3. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 7–9 minutes, scraping up the browned bits as the vegetables release moisture. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine, scrape the bottom thoroughly, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until reduced by roughly half.
5. Return the turkey and any collected juices to the pot. Add the stock, thyme and bay leaf; the liquid should reach halfway to two-thirds up the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and transfer to the oven.
6. Braise for 2 1/2–3 hours, turning the pieces once, until a skewer enters the thickest meat with almost no resistance and the meat releases readily from the bone. The thickest portion should register approximately 185–195°F; 165°F is safe but generally not tender enough for this preparation.
7. Lift the turkey onto a tray and loosely cover. Reserve all braising liquid and vegetables for the jus. When cool enough to handle, remove the bones and hard tendons, keeping the meat and browned skin in large pieces.

Notes

• For a make-ahead meal, refrigerate the turkey in its strained braising liquid overnight. Remove the solidified fat before reheating gently, covered, at 300°F until the meat reaches 165°F.

Reduced Red-Wine Braising Jus

Reducing the strained braising liquid concentrates the wine and turkey gelatin into a light, glossy sauce without flour.

Ingredients

• All reserved liquid and vegetables from the turkey braise
• 1–2 tsp red wine vinegar, to taste
• to taste kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan, pressing lightly on the vegetables, then discard the solids. Skim off excess fat.
2. Simmer uncovered until reduced to approximately 1 1/2–2 cups and glossy enough to lightly coat a spoon. Taste periodically so it does not become overly salty.
3. Add red wine vinegar a little at a time to brighten the sauce, then adjust the salt and pepper.
4. Spoon a little over the turkey and keep both warm while finishing the sides.

Notes

• If the sauce becomes too concentrated, loosen it with water or unsalted stock. It should pool around the turkey rather than sit like a thick gravy.

Bright Green Broccolini

Brief steaming keeps the broccolini vivid and tender-crisp. A restrained lemon-and-olive-oil finish balances the braise without competing with it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb broccolini
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• to taste kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Trim the dry ends and split any especially thick stalks lengthwise.
2. Steam over simmering water for 4–6 minutes, until bright green and the stems yield to a knife with a little resistance.
3. Spread briefly on a clean towel to shed excess moisture, then toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve promptly.

Crisp Potato Latkes

Thoroughly squeezing the potatoes and recovering their settled starch creates crisp, lacy edges with a tender center. A small amount of cassava flour binds without making the latkes heavy.

Ingredients

• 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp cassava flour
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus a little for finishing
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup ghee, for shallow-frying, using as needed

Instructions

1. Coarsely grate the potatoes and onion. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze very firmly over a bowl until almost no more liquid comes out.
2. Let the liquid stand for 5 minutes. Carefully pour off the watery liquid, leaving the white potato starch at the bottom of the bowl.
3. Add the squeezed vegetables, eggs, cassava flour, salt and pepper to the recovered starch. Mix thoroughly.
4. Heat about 1/8 inch of ghee in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. A strand of potato should sizzle immediately without scorching.
5. For each latke, add roughly 1/3 cup of mixture and flatten to about 4 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Fry without crowding for 4–5 minutes per side, until deeply golden with crisp edges and a cooked center. Adjust the heat if the outside browns too quickly.
6. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet and lightly salt. Repeat with the remaining mixture, stirring it between batches and replenishing the ghee as necessary. Aim for 8 broad latkes.
7. Hold uncovered in a 225°F oven for up to 30 minutes, keeping them in a single layer.

Notes

• Mix and fry soon after grating; a long rest draws out more liquid. Do not stack or cover the cooked latkes, which traps steam and softens their crust.

Chicken-Skin Gribenes with Onions

Slow rendering turns poultry skin into crisp morsels while the onions caramelize in the released fat. Added at the last moment, they give the latkes a second layer of savory crunch.

Ingredients

• 8 oz chicken skin with attached fat, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup water
• to taste kosher salt

Instructions

1. Place the chicken skin, attached fat and water in a cold heavy skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the skin begins frying in its rendered fat, about 15–20 minutes.
3. Add the sliced onion and continue cooking over medium-low heat for 15–25 minutes, stirring frequently, until the skin is crisp and deeply golden and the onions are browned but not bitter. Remove individual pieces early if they darken faster than the rest.
4. Lift the solids out with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack or paper towel. Season lightly with salt. Strain and reserve the rendered schmaltz separately.

Notes

• Rendering starts in a cold pan with water rather than added frying fat. Keep the finished gribenes uncovered until serving so they stay crisp.

Smooth Golden Applesauce

Naturally sweet apples cook down into a clean, tart-sweet counterpoint to the turkey and fried potatoes. Leaving out spices keeps the apple flavor clear.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb sweet-tart apples, such as Fuji and Pink Lady, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

1. Combine the apples, water, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples collapse easily.
2. Uncover and simmer briefly if watery, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
3. Taste and adjust the lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• The apples provide the sweetness; choose ripe fruit rather than adding sweetener by default.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The turkey provides a long, mostly hands-off window for the applesauce and gribenes. Frying the latkes near serving and steaming the greens last preserves their contrasting textures.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Heat the oven, season and brown the turkey, build the braise and transfer it to the oven.
2. 0:45 — Make the applesauce and render the gribenes in separate pans. Set both aside when finished.
3. 2:45 — Begin checking the turkey for tenderness. Trim the broccolini and set out the latke ingredients and frying equipment.
4. When the turkey is tender, remove it from the pot, strain and reduce the jus, and pull the meat into large pieces. Keep the meat covered with a little jus over very low heat.
5. Once the braising pot is out of the oven, lower the oven to 225°F. Grate, squeeze and mix the latkes, then fry in batches and hold on a rack.
6. During the final batch of latkes, steam and dress the broccolini. Warm the applesauce if desired, check the jus seasoning and plate immediately.

Notes

• The turkey, jus and applesauce can be made the day before. Reheat the turkey thoroughly before beginning the final latke frying.

Plating

Keeping the jus under the turkey and the applesauce beside the latkes protects the crisp potato crust and gribenes.

Instructions

1. Arrange a generous portion of turkey on each warm plate and spoon the red-wine jus beneath and around it.
2. Set two latkes alongside the turkey and scatter the gribenes and browned onions over them.
3. Add a spoonful of applesauce beside the latkes rather than spreading it over their entire surface.
4. Place the broccolini in a neat bundle on the remaining side of the plate and serve immediately.

Leftover Path

Storing moist and crisp components separately makes it possible to reheat the turkey gently while restoring the latkes' crust.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours. Store the turkey with its jus, and keep the latkes, gribenes, broccolini and applesauce in separate containers.
2. Use the turkey, latkes, gribenes and broccolini within 3–4 days; use the applesauce within 5 days. Freeze turkey in jus for up to 3 months if needed.
3. Reheat turkey covered with its jus over low heat until it reaches 165°F. Add a splash of water if the sauce has tightened.
4. Recrisp latkes on a rack in a 400°F oven for 10–15 minutes, until hot throughout. Warm gribenes briefly on a separate tray, watching closely to avoid burning.
5. Warm broccolini briefly with a splash of water, or chop it into a next-day turkey-and-potato hash. Serve leftover applesauce cold or gently warmed.