Sometimes you have to go completely wild and go a little bit left field at Chritmas, especially one as messed up as this year, the year of 2020. So, I decided how can I shake up your normal Christmas Turkey?
By deep frying it of course!
Well, I’m not deep frying the *whole* thing, I’m not in the USA. But I wanted to try out making Deep Fried Turkey legs with Bubble and Squeak waffles and a Cranberry Gravy. On paper, it sounds great, but does it work in reality?
The answer is… yes!
If you’re not familiar with bubble and squeak, it’s generally a UK dish made from onion, leftover potatoes (usually, mashed) and cabbage or brussel sprouts and then fried in a pan. But I decided to mix it up, put it into waffle form and then serve it with a deep fried turkey and a cranberry gravy. You have to try it to experience it for yourself!
Fried Turkey & Bubble and Squeak Waffles
Print RecipeIngredients
- For the Fried Turkey:
- 2 x Turkey Legs (with thighs)
- 1 litre Buttermilk (for marinating)
- Flour
- 4 Tbsp Dried Sage
- 4 Tbsp Onion Granules
- Salt
- For the Waffles:
- Leftover Roast Potatoes
- Leftover Sprouts or Cabbage
- 100g Cooked Bacon
- 1 x Diced Onion
- 225g Plain Flour
- 284ml Buttermilk
- 50ml Milk
- 2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 4 Eggs, beaten
- 25g Butter, melted
- 25g Duck Fat, melted
- For the Cranberry Gravy:
- 500ml Chicken Stock
- 2 Tbsp Cornflour
- 50ml Cranberry Juice
- 50g Cranberries
- 3 Tbsp Cranberry Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Instructions
To make the cranberry gravy, soak your dried cranberries in some cranberry juice for an hour so they rehydrate.
Mix together cranberry juice with cornflower to make a smooth mixture.
In a pan over a medium-high heat, add in the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer.
Next, stir in the cranberry sauce, maple syrup, cornflower mixture and the rehydrated cranberries.
Combine well, and cook over the heat for 15 minutes or so until you get a nice, thick sauce-like gravy. You can make this head of time and reheat in the microwave for a few minutes later.
Firstly, remove the turkey legs and thighs from the Turkey in one piece and save the Turkey crown for another time.
In a large bowl, add in the buttermilk and seasons with the sage, onion granules and salt, then submerge the turkey legs in the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
Once marinated, season some flour with more sage and onion granules and then thoroughly coat the turkey in the flour.
In a large pan or deep fat fryer, heat sunflower or vegetable oil up to 185°C/365°F and cook the turkey legs in the oil for 12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through - the internal temperature of the turkey should be 76°C/168°F.
Once cooked, place onto a baking sheet and leave in a warm oven while making and cooking the waffles.
For the waffles, roughly chop roast potatoes, sprouts (or cabbage), bacon and chestnuts and pop to one side.
In a large bowl, add in the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, beaten eggs, buttermilk, butter and duck fat and whisk together until you get a smooth batter with no lumps.
Fold in the potatoes sprouts, bacon and cabbage until well combined.
Cook in a waffle maker, brushed with melted butter, until the waffles are golden brown.
Serve everything with the cranberry gravy.
