Turkey Leg Osso Bucco

Ingredients

• ½ cup baby bella mushrooms
• 1 cup red wine
• 4-6 turkey drumsticks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
•
Directions

Season the turkey with the salt and pepper and coat evenly with the flour. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan and once hot, sear the turkey in the pan until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove the turkey from the pan, and pour off the fat from the pan. Wipe the pan and return it to the stove. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and tomato paste to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mirepoix and tomato paste are slightly caramelized. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for about 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Continue to reduce the wine until it is nearly evaporated. Stir the stock into the pan and add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring the stock to a boil and return the turkey to the pan. When the stock returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the turkey, covered, until the meat is tender, over 2 hours, turning the turkey every once in a while to ensure even cooking throughout the meat.
When the turkey legs are tender, taste the sauce and season accordingly. Serve the turkey over your favorite starch. Risotto, polenta, or even over grits would be good. Pasta would be fine also.
The great thing about this recipe is that it works for other game as well. I have made variations of this with wild rabbit and wild turkey as well. Wild turkey legs can be tough and this method makes for some very tasty tender turkey.