It would be pushing it to claim that leftovers are my favourite part of the festivities but there is a particular pleasure in creating yet more good things from the scraps tidied from the table when everyone has eaten their fill.
Think of these recipes as suggestions, rather than strict instructions, and tweak them according to what you have to play with. This kind of cooking is all about using things up, rather than buying more, so don’t worry if you don’t have a certain spice or the right kind of onion. Instead, relax, and enjoy the opportunity to experiment after the pressure of the big day. You’ve earned it.
Christmas breakfast hash
Breakfast is just a serving suggestion – this would also make a very satisfying lunch or supper. Chuck in any leftover stuffing, crumbled, chopped pigs in blankets, ham or other cured meat, or fry some diced bacon or peppers, along with the onions in step 2, and should you have any fresh herbs looking a little less than fresh, then roughly chop them and sprinkle them over the top before serving. Vegans might wish to substitute the egg for unsweetened plant-based yoghurt, seasoned with salt and a little crushed garlic.
(Amounts are per person)
¼ onion of any colour
About 200g cooked vegetables (eg potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts, red cabbage)
1 tbsp goose fat, butter or oil
Salt, to taste
½ tsp cumin seeds (optional)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or butter
½ tsp hot smoked paprika
1 egg (optional)
Finely slice the onion and chop the cooked vegetables into bite-size pieces. Not too small or they won’t hold any shape.
Heat the fat in a frying pan set over a medium heat and fry the onion with a good pinch of salt until softened and beginning to brown and caramelise.
Add the vegetables and leave to cook for about three minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until warmed through, then add the cumin seeds, if using, turn the heat up to medium-high and cook, tossing the pan, until the veg begins to brown and crisp. Turn the heat right down while you make the accompaniments.
In a smaller frying pan, warm the oil or butter and paprika over a low heat for a couple of minutes, then tip out of the pan into a small bowl.
Put the pan back on a medium heat (it should still be greased from the oil, but add more if you think it necessary) and crack in the egg. Fry until done to your liking.
Put the hash on a plate and pop the egg on top. Drizzle with chilli oil and eat immediately.
Turkey tetrazzini
Named after the Italian soprano who thrilled the world at the turn of the last century, this is nevertheless an all-American favourite, and a post-Christmas classic. Traditionally it is made with broken spaghetti or other long noodles, but I prefer it with large shells that cup the sauce. If you have left-over cooked veg, you can chop that up and add it instead of the peas, or include other cooked meats or grated cheese depending on what you have available. Prepare it ahead of time if that makes life easier, then reheat it, covered, for 30-40 minutes until bubbling before you add the breadcrumb topping.
Serves 6
70g butter
1 large onion, finely sliced
Salt
125g mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Leaves from a small bunch of thyme
125ml dry white wine, sherry or vermouth
300g pasta
2 tbsp corn or plain flour
400ml turkey or chicken stock
100ml soured cream or creme fraiche (single, whipping or double cream will also work)
Nutmeg, to grate
400-600g cooked turkey, shredded
250g shredded ham (optional)
200g frozen peas (no need to defrost)
100g dried breadcrumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
25g parmesan, grated
Heat 2 tbsp butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms, turn up the heat slightly and cook until they’ve given up much of their water. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute or so, then pour in the wine, and bubble until reduced by half. Take off the heat and set aside.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/360F/gas 4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, then drain, reserving a cupful of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes before whisking in the stock. Simmer this mixture until thickened. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the cream and a good grating of nutmeg.
Stir the onions and mushrooms into this sauce and season to taste before adding the shredded meat and peas.
Tip the pasta into a large oven dish and then pour over the sauce. Toss well to combine, adding some of the reserved pasta water if it looks a little dry. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Mix the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, oil and grated parmesan. Season well. After 15 minutes, remove the foil from the dish, sprinkle over the topping and bake for another 15 minutes until golden.
Shredded sprouts with ham
Sprouts are not just for Christmas Day – these sweetly nutty miniature cabbages also make delicious salads. If you’d like to serve this as a side dish, rather than the main event, or keep it plant-based, then leave out the ham. (I might be tempted to toss in some cooked chestnuts instead, if you happen to have half a packet lurking in the fridge, or indeed some cooked lentils.)
Serves 2 substantially
½ onion (red, preferably)
100ml cider or white wine vinegar
225g raw sprouts
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar (soft brown preferably)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp neutral oil, eg sunflower
3/4 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
80g shredded ham (optional)
Finely slice the onion and put in a small bowl with the vinegar. Set aside to lightly pickle.
Trim and finely slice the sprouts (a mandolin or food processor is useful here) and put in a large bowl with the salt and sugar. Massage well until the sprouts soften.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the onion to the sprouts, and then stir the mustard into the soaking vinegar. Whisk in the oil and taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
Transfer the sprouts to a serving bowl if necessary, adding only as much of the dressing as you need (the rest will keep well for future salads), and the caraway seeds and toss well. Heap the ham in the centre to serve.
A final flourish of black pepper wouldn’t go amiss.
Christmas pudding tiffin/fridge cake
Fridge cake is the ultimate vehicle for all of those sweet bits and bobs you can’t quite finish; the end of the Christmas pudding or the last mince pie, that tin of biscuits which appeared from somewhere. All will become magically more attractive when encased in chocolate, leaving you to enter the new year with a clear larder. If you’d prefer to keep it nut free, then replace them with shredded coconut or seeds, or just add more biscuits instead.
Makes about 18 pieces
300g chocolate (you can use a mixture of just about anything you have hanging around, but avoid too many filled chocolates)
120g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
⅛ tsp salt
400g Christmas pudding or mince pies, crumbled
100g biscuits of your choice, roughly broken up
100g nuts of your choice, roughly chopped (optional)
Line a tin about 18 x 28cm with baking parchment (you can use a little butter to stick it down in the corners).
Break the chocolate into pieces and then put in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a low heat along with the butter, golden syrup and salt. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
Taste; depending on the kind of chocolate you use, and your audience, you might wish to add a little more syrup to sweeten it, or more salt to balance the sugar.
Stir in the remaining ingredients until evenly distributed, then tip into the tray, level the top and leave to set completely before cutting into bars.
