Let’s talk turkey, at any time of year
plus 6-8 hours’ marinating time Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
There’s something a bit comic about turkey drumsticks, but they’ll be much loved by anyone who fancies dining like a Flintstone.
For the marinade:
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of two large lemons 1 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons medium-strength curry powder 1 teaspoons plain salt
1 cups plain unsweetened natural yoghurt (I use the Naturalea brand)
For the turkey:
8 turkey drumsticks 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the cucumber raita:
a large telegraph cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into tiny dice 2 handfuls fresh mint leaves, finely sliced 1 cup plain unsweetened natural yoghurt Salt, to taste
Put all the marinade ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Put the turkey drums in a large dish and pour over the marinade, making sure they are all coated. Cover tightly and put in the fridge for six to eight hours.
When you’re ready to cook the drumsticks, heat the oven to 200C. Line a tray with foil and drizzle with a little of the olive oil.
Remove the drumsticks from the marinade, shaking to remove any excess, and place on the tray. Discard the marinade. Drizzle the turkey with the remaining olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes (the juices should run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the meat with a skewer or knife), basting occasionally with the juices and oil in the pan.
While the drumsticks are cooking, stir together the cucumber, mint and yoghurt to make the raita. Season to taste.
Serve the drumsticks on a platter with a bowl of raita on the side.