Red-Wine Braised Turkey Legs

Special equipment: Heavy lidded sauté pan

Ingredients

serves Serves 4 to 5, active time 1 hour, total time 3 hours

• 2 whole turkey legs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, smashed
• 4 thyme sprigs, about 3 inches each
• 2 rosemary sprigs, about 5 inches each
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon sliced chives

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Season turkey legs generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan over high heat until shimmering. Add turkey legs skin-side down. Cook without moving until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Flip legs and cook until second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer, reducing heat as necessary if oil smokes excessively. Transfer turkey to a large plate.
   
2. Return skillet to heat and add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are well browned, about 8 minutes total.
   
3. Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Nestle turkey legs into pan, letting it rest on the vegetables so that only its skin is exposed. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until legs are fall-apart tender, sauce is reduced, and skin is deep mahogany, about 2 hours. Carefully remove from oven and transfer turkey legs to a plate using a slotted spatula.
   
4. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or medium saucepan. Discard solids. Skim excess fat from surface and discard. Set liquid aside.
   
5. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in hot turkey cooking liquid until fully incorporated. Bring to a boil to thicken, and season to taste with salt and pepper (you may not need any salt depending on how salty your broth was to begin with).
   
6. Carve turkey legs between the thigh and drumstick, removing thigh bone if desired. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chives and serve with hot gravy.

Crispy Braised Chicken With White Beans and Chile Verde

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 40 minutes, total time 1 1/2 hours plus overnight soak for beans

• 1 pound small white beans, rinsed and picked over
• Kosher salt
• 2 quarts homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 pound Hatch (Anaheim) chiles (see note above)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 chicken legs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime, plus 1 extra lime divided into 8 wedges
• Sour cream or Mexican crema for serving

Procedures

1. Cover white beans with 1 gallon (4 quarts) water. Add 1/4 cup salt and stir until dissolved. Cover and let rest at room temperature at least 8 hours and up to 24. Drain and rinse beans.
   
2. Place beans in a large pot and add chicken broth and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and topping up with water to keep beans submerged until beans are tender but still slightly firm in the center, about 45 minutes. Drain beans, reserving liquid in a large bowl.
   
3. While beans cook, roast chiles directly over an open gas flame until charred on all sides, about 5 minutes per chile. Transfer chiles to a covered bowl or a heavy paper bag as they are ready and seal tightly. Alternatively, broil chiles on a rimmed baking sheet 6 inches from broiler element, turning until charred on all sides and transfer to a covered bowl or a heavy paper bag. Once all chiles are cooked, keep sealed for 15 minutes to allow them to steam. Transfer steamed chiles to bowl with drained bean cooking liquid.
   
4. Peel and de-seed the chiles submerged under the bean cooking liquid. Transfer the flesh to a cutting board, leaving the charred skin and seeds behind. Once all chiles are peeled, carefully strain and reserve liquid. Discard skins and seeds. Roughly chop chile flesh. Set chopped chiles and liquid aside.
   
5. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a large straight-sided sautée pan over high heat until shimmering. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in pan skin side-down. Cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 8 minutes. Flip and brown lightly on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a large plate.
   
6. Add onions and garlic to pan and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon until softened, about 6 minutes. Add cumin and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chopped chilies and reserved bean cooking/chili soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by 1/3, about 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Sauce should be relatively thick. If watery, allow to reduce until there is no water pooling at the top of the pan.
   
7. Transfer contents to the jar of a blender, food processor, or a large bowl with a hand blender. Pulse until roughly pureed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return chile sauce to sauté pan and stir in the cooked beans and remaining bay leaf. Nestle chicken into beans leaving the skin exposed and transfer to the oven. Cook, uncovered, until chicken is completely tender and skin is very crisp, and beans are cooked through, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with extra cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges and sour cream.