Roast turkey legs with mashed potatoes, honey roasted carrots and lemony garlicky green beans By Carly Pildis

By Carly Pildis February 10, 2022

I received the dread email from my favorite kosher butchers, and there is a good chance you have too.

A sincere apology for increasing prices, an explanation of supply chain issues and inflation. I know kosher butchers are doing their best in a difficult situation. I took a quick glance at their website: How much more expensive can kosher food actually get?

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. I’ll need a second mortgage for a brisket. I may have to choose between a corned beef sandwich and paying for my kid’s college tuition.

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I am definitely feeling this one right in the pocketbook and right at the Shabbat table. We have cut way back on meat, but come Shabbat we all crave a big piece of kosher meat. I have begun stalking my kosher market for cheap cuts.

There, I found an old friend: The turkey drumstick.

Years ago, when I was just another broke Washington young professional, living mostly off the free food at work happy hours, $2 chicken wings, and vegetables from the garden, I became acquainted with the wonders of the turkey drumstick. Easy to cook, you can braise it, stick it in soup and shred it, turn it into turkey sandwiches, BBQ it, roast it — the turkey drumstick is here for you. It’s not just for Thanksgiving.

You can whip up roast turkey legs and mashed potatoes for $25 in about an hour and a half. I kept it very simple with honey and lemon, but you could add sage, rosemary, or spicy mustard if you like.

How did I price it out to be so cheap? I got two packs of turkey drumsticks for $10, which would easily serve four. Young children could happily split one. I grabbed two lemons for a dollar and honey for $3.00, then a bag of potatoes for five bucks. A clove of garlic and scallions will add some extra flavor to the potatoes.

I will make green beans with lemon zest ($2.50) and honey roasted carrots ($2) to round out the meal. Shabbat Shalom!

Roast turkey legs with mashed potatoes, honey roasted carrots and lemony garlicky green beans By Carly Pildis

Roast turkey legs with mashed potatoes, honey-roasted carrots and lemony garlicky green beans

Honey roasted carrots:
1 bunch carrots (I prefer skinny organic ones, but conventional ones work well, just halve them!)
½ cup olive oil
½ cup honey
Flakey salt or kosher salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400. Whisk olive oil and honey. Coat carrots in this mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until they are tender but not mushy.

Lemon garlic green beans
2 lemons
3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cleaned

Zest the lemon. Grate or microplane 3 cloves of garlic. Drizzle green beans with olive oil and saute on high heat for about four minutes. Add zest and garlic, stir to combine and then take off heat. Cut one-quarter of your lemon and squeeze it over the top. Season with salt to taste.

Mashed potatoes
5 pounds red potatoes (you’ll have leftovers)
1 clove garlic (minus 3 cloves reserved for green beans)
3 scallions
2 sticks room temperature margarine or ½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the garlic across the top to expose the flesh, drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake with potatoes until potatoes are fork tender, about an hour. Remove the garlic from the peels and mash, then mash into the margarine or olive oil until fully combined. Cool potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus the garlic and margarine mixture and mash. Garnish with scallions for an extra kick.

Honey and lemon turkey legs
4 turkey legs
1 ½ lemons
3 tablespoons honey
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring the turkey to room temperature. With paper towels, dry the outside. Whisk together lemon and two tablespoons of honey. Coat the turkey with lemon and honey. Drizzle another tablespoon of honey and some olive oil over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 35 minutes, until outside is browned and inside is cooked through. Serves 4-5.

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