BRAISED TURKEY LEGS WITH WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING

Steps:

• First prepare the stuffing by melting butter in saute pan. Poor over bread cubes. Set aside.
• Rinse dried porcini and soak in warm water for 15 minutes Drain and chop, reserving liquid.
• Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium heat and add onions, celery, and bacon. Cook until vegetables become translucent. Add porcini, fresh mushrooms, reserved mushroom liquid and stock. Cook over medium heat and reduce until almost dry.
• Add vegetables to bread cubes along with parsley, sage, rosemary, and beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Now prepare turkey leg & thigh sections by removing bones, silver skin, and all tendons. With skin side down, cover with plastic wrap and pound out evenly. Season inside with salt and pepper.
• Add 8 ounces of mushroom stuffing evenly across middle section. Roll into a tight cylinder. Tie with butcher's string. Season outside with salt and pepper. Heat a roasting pan and add olive oil. Sear meat until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
• Add carrots, celery, onion and rosemary and cook until brown. Deglaze with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add turkey. Cover roasting pan with foil and braise in oven for about 2 hours and until internal temperature is 130 degrees.
• Remaining stuffing may be added to a buttered gratin dish and baked in the 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and finish roasting to get color on the meat, until internal temperature is 140 degrees. Remove legs, set aside on platter, and cover with foil until ready to slice.
• Add 2 cups of pomegranate juice to the braising liquid and simmer for 10 minutes then puree the sauce through a food mill or a with a blender. The vegetables will thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the turkey into half-inch portions and serve with sauce.