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Turkey Legs Tagine

Regular readers know that I like the Le Creuset Moroccan Tagine. I've suggested that you think of it as a heavy-duty stovetop Dutch oven, perfect for the braising of portions-for-two. We've done a Pot Roast and Osso Bucco.

Turkey legs are one of the tastiest "cheap eats" items you can find in a US meat counter. In our neighborhood, they are usually packaged in threes--one each for dinner with a leftover leg to gnaw on for lunch or whenever. Roasting and braising are the preferred methods for cooking turkey. The legs are especially tough and need to be fired, on low heat, for quite awhile. Why not tie the three legs together to form a tripod and braise them in the tagine? The top of the tagine will fit snugly over the legs creating a nicely closed chamber for moist heat cooking. So here we have:

Turkey Legs Tagine
See abbreviations, if needed
Yield: 3 servings

3 turkey legs, skin on or off
6 shallots, peeled and halved
6 small red potatoes, skin on, halved
S/P to taste
2T EVOO
1T+ seasoning of choice (herbes de Provence, fines herbes, BG, Italian)
15 oz chicken broth

1.   Rub turkey legs with oil, S/P and seasoning and set aside
2.   Heat the cast iron tagine base to hot, add EVOO and then brown the shallot and potato halves
3.   Remove the veggies and set aside
4.   Brown the turkey legs to give them some color (see photo), add more oil if needed
5.   Remove the legs and when cool enough to handle, tie them together with butchers twine or wire
6.   Return the legs to the pan and stand them up as a tripod
7.   Return the veggies and sprinkle any remaining seasoning over all
8.   Add the chicken broth and BTB
9.   Reduce the heat to simmer and put the cover on
10. Braise for about 90 minutes until the legs are very fork-tender
11. Remove the legs and veggies and set aside in a warm place
12. Skim the fat off the surface of the braising liquid
13. BTB and reduce the braising liquid for sauce, adjust seasoning
14. Serve on heated plates

Shallots are used in this recipe, which brings to mind the following:
Awhile back I was at a Marine Corps Exchange where a gruff retired navy chief petty officer cook was doing a demonstration of All Clad pots and pans. He had a pretty good crowd. As he was dicing up a huge yellow onion, a woman asked, "Chef, I know you are using an onion, but what are shallots?" While still chopping, the chief looked up and replied with disdain, "They're expensive onions . . . the French like 'em."