Turkey Stew

I've been wanting to try this for weeks. It looks so delicious, doesn't it? Well, I'm not sure I'll ever make it again. It takes a good while (though much of that time is inactive for the chef) for a not-mind-blowing tastebud experience. Hubby and I both liked it well enough, it just didn't rock our collective socks off. I think the prunes were the problem; neither of us can wrap our tongues around liking them. But, my tastebuds are not yours so perhaps you will enjoy this. It is sweet. Bobby thinks it would be better with some red pepper added, and also perhaps duck instead of turkey. Also, I did not have the proper cookware, so I had to switch back and forth between a pot and a foil-lined glass baking dish.

Turkey Stew:
1 tbsp olive oil
4 turkey drumsticks
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup brandy
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup pearl onions

Preheat the oven to 325F. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil, then brown each drumstick. Salt and pepper. Obviously, only the meaty part will brown. This is what two of my drumsticks looked like. Remove any extra fat.


Add the wine; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. How do you know when it's down to 1/2 cup? Well, I would pour the liquid into a measuring cup to measure my progress, then pour it back into the pot. Once you've got 1/2 cup, add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. It's recommended that the be bundled, but it's not necessary. Add 3 cups of stock and drumsticks. Bring to a simmer. (This is the point at which I switched everything into the foil-wrapped glass baking dish. If you have a nifty cast iron skillet, you should use that. I do not. I had to make do.) Cover and braise in the over for 1 1/2 hours.

At the hour point, soak the prunes in the brandy; they should plump up a bit. Next, blanch the pear onions for 2 minutes, then drain and cool them a bit. Remove the root end and skins. Heat the remaining tsp of olive oil and brown the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, prunes, and left over brandy to the casserole/baking dish in the oven. Braise for an additional hour.

Remove the turkey legs, prunes, and onions from the dish.


Throw away the herbs and get rid of an excess fat. Simmer the broth until it is 1 1/2 cups - about 30 minutes. Once the turkey has cooled enough, remove the skin and tear the meat into chunks. Discard the bones. Add the meat and veggies back to the broth.


Serve with pasta or rice (I vote for rice though I originally made noodles).


And that, my friends, is how you spend 4 1/2 hours preparing a meal. Hubby and I would eat it again, I'm just not sure I'd be willing to make it again. But, decide for yourselves if you have an afternoon free!

In the oven: vanilla pound cake. Can't wait!!