Slow Roast Turkey Leg (+ Amazing Turkey Gravy!)

Ingredients

• 2 large onions (peeled and each one cut into 8 wedges)
• 2 large carrots (chopped into large chunks (no need to peel))
• 1 stick of celery (chopped into large chunks)
• 1 garlic bulb (halved horizontally)
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 300 ml chicken stock ((from a cube is fine – See Note 1))
• 1 kg turkey leg (AKA turkey drumstick) ((See Note 2))
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste ((See Note 3))
• 1 tablespoon cornflour (US – cornstarch)
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark3 / 325F.

2. 2

   Place the chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a roasting tin (Approx 30 cm x 25cm – like THIS ONE).

3. 3

   Add the bay leaves and chicken stock to the roasting tin.

4. 4

   Remove the turkey leg from the packaging and gently pat dry with kitchen roll. Drizzle over the olive oil, and sprinkle over some salt and pepper. Use your hands to spread this all over the turkey leg.

5. 5

   Place the turkey leg on top of the vegetables in the roasting tin and cover the whole thing completely with tin foil. (You may have to use 2 sheets sideways, unless you have very wide tin foil.)

6. 6

   Place the roasting tin in your preheated oven and roast for 2 hours.

7. 7

   After the 2 hours, turn the heat up to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F. Then take the roasting tin out of the oven and remove the foil.

8. 8

   Return the roasting tin to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes to crisp up the skin. (Make sure the liquid does not completely dry out - See Note 4.)

9. 9

   After the 30 minutes take the roasting tin out of the oven and place the turkey on a board or plate to rest for 10-15 minutes while you make the gravy. (See Note 5.)

10. 10

    To make the gravy, place a sieve over a medium-sized saucepan and tip the vegetables and liquid from the roasting tin into the sieve. Using a large spoon, press down on the vegetables to get all the liquid out of them and into the saucepan. (See Note 6.) Remove the sieve from the pan.

11. 11

    Mix together 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a thin paste (it should be roughly the consistency of single cream – add more cold water if necessary to achieve this consistency.)

12. 12

    Pour the cornflour mixture into the saucepan and stir to combine with the strained roasting liquid.

13. 13

    Gently heat the gravy until bubbling, stirring frequently to ensure a smooth consistency. If too thick for your tastes, thin out with some boiling water from the kettle. (If too thin, add another tablespoon of cornflour, mixed first with cold water as above.)

14. 14

    Tip into a gravy boat or jug and serve with your turkey leg.