Braised Turkey Thighs might not be an obvious choice for a summer supper but they’re easy to season, brown, and then slide into a low temperature oven for a long simmer. While you wait, you can do whatever feels right – gardening, swimming or just sitting on the porch smelling the gardenia’s blooms while reading that trashy novel you got waitlisted for at the library. The other nice thing about this recipe is that it works for wings. Get four, split them and follow the recipe as written below. So let’s get started.
The Prep
You’ll first want to melt the fat, then dry off and salt & pepper the turkey. Let the fat start to sizzle before adding the turkey then let it get to a good brown on both sides before removing from the pan.
Then you’ll add extra fat if needed (I didn’t because the turkey skin had lots, so eyeball it). Cut up the onion and mushroom and brown them lightly. Next up is the tomato. Slice in half, use your finger or a small spoon to scoop out the seeds then grate it. And after you’ve done that add it (and all its juice) to the onions and mushrooms along with the seasonings, garlic, and wine. Stir well and get all the tasty brown fond off the bottom of the pan then cover and put in the oven.
Once done you have the option of thickening the sauce with the cornstarch mixture and butter. Crown with your preferred herbs and serve it forth with heavy crusted warm bread or oven-roasted potatoes as shown.
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat, or butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lbs. turkey thighs (usually about two)
- Salt & Pepper
- ½ pound mushrooms, quartered
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 lb. tomatoes, cut in half, seeded & grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (or catsup)
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in a tablespoon of water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram (or thyme or tarragon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Preheat the oven to 250.
- Heat the fat in a large pot. Brown the thighs in this over medium-high heat. Set aside after they brown.
- After the turkey has browned, add the mushrooms and sliced onion and brown them; adding more oil if necessary.
- When the onion and mushrooms are browned, return the turkey to the pot and add the thyme, rosemary, sage, bay, garlic, tomatoes, and wine. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot with wooden spoon. Cover the pot and put in the oven for about 2 hours.
- Check the pot after about 1 hour, and add water if needed; you'll need plenty of iquid in order to get that fall off the bone doneness.
- When the turkey is almost done taste the sauce. Because of the tomato and red wine it may be a little tart. If so, add a teaspoon of sugar or honey and mix into the sauce. Place on the stove top over low heat and mix in the cornstarch & water. This should thicken in about a minute. Once it's thickened add the butter.
- Sprinkle with the herb and parsley and serve with the potatoes.
