Juicy & Crispy Oven-Roasted Turkey Legs: Ultimate

1. Place salt and sugar into a large resealable bag. Pour in enough water to cover the turkey legs, and squeeze the bag to dissolve salt and sugar. Immerse turkey legs in brine, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to brine.

2. In a saucepan, stir together white wine, pomegranate molasses, brown sugar, regular molasses, vinegar, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half. Season with 1 tablespoon of sage and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Taste and adjust sugar, salt, and pepper if desired.

3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Remove turkey legs from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cast iron will work well. Fry turkey, frequently turning until browned on all sides. Place the pan with turkey into the oven.

4. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and turn legs over. Season with some of remaining thyme and sage, and spoon some of sauce onto legs to coat. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.

5. Repeat seasoning and baste with sauce again, and return to the oven. Roast for 15 more minutes, then test for doneness. The internal temperature should be 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Serve turkey with remaining sauce on the side.

Tips

The nutrition data for this recipe includes information for the full amount of the brining solution. The sodium content recorded here is therefore artificially high. The actual amount of salt consumed will vary.