Hearty Sausage Turkey Leg with Black-Eyed Peas and Kale Slaw
Ah, it’s almost my favorite time of year—when the backyard smells like fried turkey, the leaves are painting the world in gold and red, and that crisp breeze sneaks in through the windows with just a hint of pumpkin spice. This is the season where kitchens stay busy, tables stay full, and families gather to laugh, tell stories, and sneak extra helpings of Grandma’s black-eyed peas that she slow-cooked over her wood-burning stove.
That cozy energy is exactly what I wanted to capture in this recipe, but with a little twist. Don’t worry—I kept the soul of those traditional flavors, but I couldn’t resist playing around. The black-eyed peas? They’re still hearty and savory, but I gave them a bright lift with a splash of lemon juice. It’s a tiny detail that makes a big difference, cutting through the richness and waking up your palate.
And the sausage? Oh, it’s not sitting on the sidelines. Nope—it’s mixed right in, turning every forkful into a “D*** That’s Good” moment (and yes, I actually said that out loud when I first tried it, LOL).
To tie it all together, I swapped the usual heavy sides for a warm kale slaw that does way more than just sit pretty on the plate. It enhances the tanginess of the peas, brings balance to the salty-sweet sausage, and then—just when you think you’ve got the flavors figured out—the fruit inside sneaks in with its natural sweetness. Top it with a tangy homemade dressing, and suddenly everything just clicks.
This isn’t just a Thanksgiving recipe. It’s a “gather round the table, pass the stories, and make new memories” kind of recipe. The kind that feels like tradition, even the very first time you make it.
In a container, combine 2 cups of beer and 1 cup cranberries. Cover with a lid and set aside to rehydrate.
Prepare white 3 cups of rice using the standard cooking method, then allow it to cool completely.
Gently pull the (4 to 5) turkey legs skin down to the base of the bone. With the base of your knife, carefully remove about ¾ of the bone, leaving the remaining portion attached to the skin.
Place the turkey skin in a dry area to cool and dry slightly.
Remove the meat from the turkey bone.
Finely chop or grind the meat into very small pieces, using your preferred tool for best results.
Slice 6 to 8 homestyle sausages into ¼-inch half-moon shapes with a clean knife.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped turkey meat, sausage slices, chilled rice, rehydrated cranberries (drained), and your preferred seasonings.
Using a piping bag with a medium-sized opening, carefully pipe the meat mixture back into the turkey skin to form a boneless turkey leg.
Sew the open end of the turkey leg closed with a needle and thread for a secure seal or use food safe picks.
Preheat the sous vide machine to 155°F (68°C).
Place 1 to 2 turkey legs in a vacuum seal bag along with 2 to 3 oz of buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and cook in the sous vide bath for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the turkey legs from the water bath and chill until ready to fry.
Once chilled, remove the turkey legs from the vacuum bags.
Prepare a three-stage breading system: first, dredge in flour, then dip in egg wash, and finally coat with potato flakes.
Fry the turkey legs in oil heated to 350°F (175°C) until golden brown.
Remove from the fryer and season with salt and pepper to finish.
In a medium pot over medium heat, cook the sausage in butter until both the sausage and butter begin to brown. Remove the sausage from the pot and set it aside.
Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot.
Sauté the vegetables until the carrots begin to soften.
Stir in lemon juice and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add black-eyed peas, followed by chicken stock, water, and seasonings. Cook until the beans are tender, approximately 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours.
If the beans become too thick during cooking, add a 1:1 mixture of chicken stock and water to adjust the consistency.
Peel, core, and dice the apples and pears into medium to small pieces.
In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Once the butter has melted, add the diced apples and pears to the pan.
Cook until the apples start to soften slightly, then add rice vinegar, honey, and brown sugar. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add kale to the pan.
Cook until the kale turns dark green, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Season with salt to taste.
Roughly chop the cooked sausage pieces meant for the beans pot.
Fry the sausage pieces until they are crispy, about 2 to 4 minutes (the dark color is desirable).
In a mixing bowl, combine the kale slaw and crispy sausage pieces. Mix well.
Using a 2 oz ladle, spoon the black-eyed peas onto the bottom of the plate to form a base.
Slice the turkey leg into ¼-inch thick slices and arrange 3 to 4 slices standing or layered in the center of the black-eyed peas.
Take a medium-sized portion of the kale slaw using a three-finger pinch and place it neatly on top of the turkey slices.
