So a few frozen turkey legs mysteriously ended up in my shopping cart at Tesco, so I decided to make something a little different for dinner tonight. The drumsticks were a rather big, so they took a bit longer to cook than I had originally planned. All in all they turned out quite tasty; the brine worked really well in my opinion. Reserve the juices for drizzling over the meat, or for dipping your bread in!
Based on the recipe by Ree Drummond.
Roasted Turkey Legs
Ingredients
- 3 large turkey legs, about 800 grams (1-3/4 pounds) each
- 3 litres water
- 3/4 cup coarse salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon Montreal seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chilli powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a pot, combine water with the coarse salt, sugar, brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons Montreal seasoning, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Allow to cool in the refridgerator, then pour into a large pot filled with ice. When the mixture is cold, submerge the turkey legs in the brine. Cover the container and return to the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours, or more if you have the time.
While brining the turkey, make the dry rub. In a small bowl, add the remaining 1 teaspoon Montreal seasoning, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 205 degrees C (fan 185 degrees). Remove the turkey legs from the brine, and rinse them under cold water. Pat the legs dry using paper towels. Discard the brine. Rub the dry rub all over the turkey legs, getting under the skin when you can.
Roast on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 160 degrees C (fan 140 degrees C) and roast, basting occasionally with its own juices, for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until turkey is cooked through and the internal temperature reads about 70 degrees C.
Remove them from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.