White Wine-Braised Turkey Thighs

ByLaura Monroe

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Perfect for a smaller crowd or dark meat superfans, this braise is like cooking the turkey right in the gravy. The finished turkey is juicy and tender, with a bright acidity from the reduced wine sauce. Even better, it can be made the day ahead and reheated before dinner.

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

  • 5 to 6 lb bone-in turkey thighs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, or a needed
  • 1 lb shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups dry white wine
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced, plus more for garnish
  • 1 bunch carrots, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

  1. Unwrap the turkey thighs and season all over with salt and pepper. If not using right away, re-wrap the thighs and return them to the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. Salt the turkey up to 3 days ahead of time.
  2. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each turkey thigh in the flour and tap to remove excess flour.
  3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the thighs, skin side down, working in batches, as needed, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter or baking sheet as done.
  4. To the same pot, add the shallots and garlic, and cook until very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the whine, broth, mustard, and thyme, and stir to combine. Use your wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan.
  5. Return the turkey thighs to the Dutch oven, nestling them in so they are partially submerged.
  6. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over a light simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the sauce is flavorful and balanced, about 1 1/2 hours.
  7. Remove the turkey thighs and transfer to a board to rest, and add the carrots to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high a simmer until the sauce is reduced slightly and the carrots are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
  8. To serve the thighs, remove the bone from each thigh. They should pull away easily, or use a chef’s knife to carefully cut around the bone to remove it. Slice the thighs and serve them on a platter with the carrots. Drizzle with some sauce and garnish with thyme. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

[/directions]

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