If you’re cooking turkey this Christmas, you absolutely need to know about this recipe!

I discovered it last year and I vowed then that, whenever I’m cooking turkey for Christmas dinner, this will be on our meal plan in the days after. It was the first year of a new tradition.

The legs usually get left in our house, but where I would devour a chicken leg, a turkey leg just doesn’t have the same appeal because it is often dry or sinewy.

The answer? Remove the turkey legs before cooking and cook the crown for Christmas Day. Marinate the legs then braise them in olive oil with chilli and garlic.

I used my slow cooker rather than the oven so it didn’t interfere with me cooking Christmas dinner. Once cooked, I left the legs to cool in the oil, transferred it all to an airtight box and stored in the fridge for a couple of days before finishing the dish when we were ready to eat it. The meat is so tender, falls away from the bones and shreds easily with a fork.

I served the confit turkey legs, last year, with avocado, a salsa, a spiced garlic mayo using the garlic and chilli from the cooking (I didn’t bother with the sauce in the recipe though it does sound amazing) and oven chips. It went down a storm and not a scrap of turkey was left!

The oil used for cooking doesn’t go to waste. It has the most amazing flavour which you can use in your cooking – especially good for a fried eggs.