Roasted Garlic Glazed Drumsticks

James Hamilton, Chef at Avon Gorge Hotel

Serves 4

Garlic is usually harvested over summer and in early autumn, but the bulbs last through the winter, into spring and even early summer. Roasting the bulb whole makes for a milder, yet deliciously rich flavour.  Keeping the flavours simple lets the rich brown meat of the Fosse Meadows Bronze Turkey really shine through.

For the butter:

250g salted butter
50g garlic bulb (about 1 bulb)
10g herbs (rosemary or thyme can still be harvested in winter, but parsley, chives or tarragon would also be great)

For the drumsticks

4 tbsp vegetable, rapeseed or sunflower oil
150g roasted garlic butter, cut into 2cm cubes.
8 x Fosse Meadows Bronze Turkey drumsticks (or
2 x Fosse Meadows Bronze Turkey Legs)

For the butter:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Roast the whole garlic bulb in the oven for between 20 to 30 minutes.  It’ll feel soft all the way to the middle when it’s done.

2. Meanwhile, cube the butter and leave it in a warm place to soften. Try to make sure the butter doesn’t melt, as it will split. Once the garlic has cooled slightly, cut the top off the head of garlic and squeeze out the gooey deliciousness.

3. Place the softened butter in a food processor with the roasted garlic purée and your chosen herb. Blend this until smooth (if your blender is small, you may need to do this in batches). When you have reached the desired consistency, spoon the mixture onto a piece of greaseproof paper, fold the paper over to wrap the butter then roll until it comes into a cylindrical shape.

4. Refrigerate until ready to use, or freeze to make it last year-round.

For the drumsticks:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan, cover the turkey with the oil and generously season with salt and black pepper.

2. Place the turkey skin-side up in a large roasting tray and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the juices start to run clear.

3. Remove the turkey from the oven and put it into a large bowl with the roasted garlic butter, tossing to ensure they are well covered.

4. Put the coated turkey back into the roasting tray for 10-15 minutes, basting the meat every 5 minutes with any remaining butter from the bowl.

5. Serve the drumsticks as part of a sharing spread – or if using the legs, slice the meat off the bone and serve.

Enjoy!