Roasted Turkey Thighs With Dates and Prunes

Two roasted turkey thighs with drumsticks on a platter with herbs and dry fruit, and gravy.

Roasted Turkey Thighs With Dates and Prunes

Roasted turkey thighs and drumsticks with dates and prunes are ideal for a small holiday dinner when a whole turkey is too much.

Course Dinner, Holidays

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Brining 1

Servings

Calories 418kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Ingredients

2 turkey legs (thigh with drumstick attached), about 1.5–2 lb / 700–900 g each
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken or turkey stock
2 oranges medium, zested and juiced
2 lemons zested and juiced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 garlic cloves minced
½ onion finally diced
½ cup Medjool dates pitted and halved
½ cup dried prunes pitted

For the dry brine

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoon dried herbs thyme, sage, and rosemary, or a blend

Instructions

Dry brine the thighs

Mix the coarse sea salt, pepper, and dried herbs in a small bowl.
Using your hands, loosen the skin over the thigh and separate it from the meat, breaking through the membrane without tearing the skin. Do the same over the drumsticks. Rub a couple of teaspoons of the brine mixture into the meat under the loosened skin, including the back of the thighs. Sprinkle the remaining mixture over the outside of the skin.
Place the turkey legs on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 day and up to 3 days.

Marinate and roast

Heat the oven to 200 °C / 390 °F.
Combine the mustard, garlic, onion, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon and orange zest, sea salt, pepper, and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.
Place the turkey legs in a roasting pan and pour the marinade over them. Massage it into every fold and crease, wearing gloves if you prefer.
Tuck the dates and prunes around the legs. Combine the lemon and orange juice, wine, and stock in a bowl, then pour over the turkey and fruit.
Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil and roast for 2½ to 3 hours.
Uncover and continue roasting until the skin is crisp and deeply golden, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover tightly with foil, and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Food safety first. Use a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. Poultry is safe to eat at 165 °F / 74 °C. For the fall-apart texture this recipe is built for, take the legs to 175–185 °F / 80–85 °C. Start checking at the two-hour mark.

Buying the cut. If your market sells thighs and drumsticks separately rather than whole legs, buy two of each and roast them together in the same pan. Bone-in and skin-on matters more than which section you get.

Make ahead. The dry brine can start up to three days in advance. Leftovers keep in the sauce for four days in the fridge or three months in the freezer.

Nutritional info is estimated and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition