If anyone out there knows how to make stuffed turkey wings, I’m listening.

Allow me to explain: Sui Lum emailed recently, curious about a dish that was featured on a Food Network show, made out of turkey wings. “They slit the wing and stuffed it with things and braised it in the oven with a little liquid,” Lum said.

So I tried. I found a couple of Cajun and Creole recipes that I used as a guide, to unspectacular results.

The problem, as I see it, is that the wing doesn’t offer much real estate for stuffing. You’re supposed to stuff only the middle section, not the tip or the drumette, making a slit down the center and pushing the meat aside to cram in the stuffing. Very little fits, and the result was not at all worth the effort.

Clearly, I need help. Anyone know how to make a delicious stuffed dish out of this little-used poultry part? I’m willing to learn.

Meanwhile, you’ll notice I do have a recipe here. Braising the larger wing parts in a stock made by simmering the tips did produce a nice comfort dish with a flavorful gravy, thanks to heavy application of Cajun seasoning (a mix of paprika, chili powder and other spices, found in the spice aisle).

I had tried to make a stuffing out of bell peppers, onions, carrots and garlic. In my unstuffed version, those ingredients are cut in chunks and sprinkled around the turkey parts. With the addition of potatoes, it made a nice one-dish meal.

Braised Turkey Wings

• 4-6 turkey wings (4-5 pounds)
• 1-1/2 quarts water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup carrot chunks
• 12 ounces baby red potatoes, scrubbed, kept whole
• 2 cups red bell pepper chunks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Separate each wing into 3 segments. Set aside tips for stock and the other two segments for braising.

Bring water to boil; add salt and wing tips. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours to make a turkey stock.

Strain stock and skim fat; set aside. You should have about 4 cups.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle remaining wing segments on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Heat oil in a deep ovenproof saute pan. Add garlic and wing segments; brown on both sides. Arrange carrots and potatoes around turkey pieces. Pour stock into pan; bring to boil.

Cover skillet and carefully move into oven. Braise in oven 60 minutes, then add bell pepper. Cover and braise another 30 minutes, or until thickest pieces are cooked through.

Remove turkey, vegetables and potatoes to serving dish. Keep warm.

Place pan on stovetop and bring liquid to a simmer. Add remaining 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning. Remove 1/4 cup of liquid and add cornstarch, stirring to make a smooth paste. Gradually add this slurry to liquid in pan, stirring to thicken. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Pour gravy over turkey pieces. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: (based on 4 pounds wings): 850 calories, 35 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 445 mg cholesterol, 2,000 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 98 g protein

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