How to do the Christmas feast without all the waste
In the period of relative tranquillity between the chaos of Christmas and the anticipation of New Year, using up all the festive remnants can prove challenging if you want to avoid turkey sandwiches meal after meal.
Even if you did manage to swerve all those festive bulk-buy bargains, and you didn’t buy the biggest bird out there, hitting the sweet spot between using everything up and still managing to enjoy the same foods second or even third time around isn’t always easy to achieve.
The good news is, with just a little bit of extra planning and a structured approach to storing, you’ll be able to put those Christmas dinner leftovers to excellent use without having to resort to bubble and squeak five days in a row, or relegating unloved food to the bin.
Turkey leftovers
How to store them
Don’t leave the cooked turkey hanging around while you have a snooze after dinner; as soon as it’s cool enough, wrap the turkey well and store it in the centre of the fridge along with any other ready-to-eat foods and away from the raw food on the bottom shelf.
Leftover turkey should be eaten within two days and, if you’ve got enough space in the fridge, can be left on the carcass to help retain moisture. It’s a good idea to evaluate what’s left as soon as you can.
Slice or cube any more meat than you’ll realistically eat within a couple of days and freeze in storage containers or suitable bags, making sure to date and label. For best results, freeze the meat flat on a tray first; once frozen firmly, the pieces can be transferred to bags and should remain free-flowing for several weeks so you can shake out a portion as needed.
How to transform them
The carcass can be used for a delicious soup or stock or can be frozen to deal with at a later date if you’re not in the mood to tackle it straight away.
Spicy fried rice is always one of my first uses of leftover cooked turkey. I begin by scrambling eggs in a splash of sesame oil before setting aside. Then it’s simply a question of stir frying whatever you fancy. I like adding a few chopped up honey-roasted carrots and crumble of stuffing along with the turkey and rice before seasoning with soy and oyster or sweet chilli sauce before returning the egg to the pan.
Once all the festive excesses have finally gotten to me, I crave a crisp and refreshing salad. I love to make a take on a Waldorf salad with juicy grapes, celery, apple and toasted walnuts and diced turkey tossed in a tangy, yogurt-based dressing.
How to make turkey and cranberry tarts
These little pies are delicious served warm from the oven and also freeze well for enjoying at a later date; they are particularly good for using up fuller-flavoured thigh meat.
For six tarts, unroll a 320g sheet of shortcrust pastry and, using a 10cm cutter, stamp out six rounds. Use to line a six-hole muffin tin then prick the bases with a fork. Crumple up six squares of baking paper and use to line the tart cases. Fill with baking beans or dried rice and bake at 200C/180C fan/gas mark six for eight minutes. Remove the paper and beans, then bake for a further five minutes until the pastry is set.
Meanwhile, beat together a 150ml tub of double cream and an egg and season generously. Place a scant teaspoonful of cranberry sauce in the base of each tart case then layer in 100g of shredded cooked turkey, 100g of crumbled stilton or Wensleydale and some chopped chives, parsley or thyme. Carefully pour in the egg mixture then bake for 20-25 minutes until the filling is golden and set. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes before lifting out. Makes six.
Ham leftovers
How to store them
The most useful of leftover meats. There’s sometimes confusion about the differences between ham and gammon but both are pork hind quarters and however they’ve been cured, once the raw gammon is cooked, it’s referred to as ham.
If, like me, you boil your gammon before finishing off in the oven, make sure to keep hold of the cooking liquor. It makes a flavoursome stock for soups and gravies. I also ladle a little over my tupperware of sliced ham to keep it moist in the fridge and to protect it during freezing.
How to transform them
Aside from making sandwiches (including my favourite twixmas toastie, the monte cristo), ham can be chopped and added to creamy pasta dishes, sliced thickly and coated in breadcrumbs for frying, used in soups, salads and terrines.
For a brilliant New Year’s Eve starter, try making potted ham by mixing shredded ham with clarified butter, chopped parsley or tarragon and your choice of seasonings such as yellow mustard seeds or a dash of Dijon. For a smoother texture, pulse in a food processor. Pack tightly into small dishes and chill until firm then serve with warm toast and cornichons or pickled red onions.
How to make a ham and cheddar roast potato gratin
This is a delicious way to use up leftover roast potatoes and ham.
Heat one tbsp of olive oil and a knob of butter in a large frying pan and cook two sliced onions along with two sliced garlic cloves and one tbsp of chopped rosemary, sage or thyme for 10 minutes until golden. Slice 750g of leftover roast potatoes and arrange in a baking dish layering up with the golden onions, 200g of chopped, cooked ham and about 100g of grated Cheddar or other cheese.
Whisk together a 150ml tub of double cream and 150ml of milk with some seasoning and grated nutmeg. Pour over the potatoes and bake at 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5, for 30 minutes or so until piping hot and golden brown, covering with foil if it starts to brown too quickly. Serves four to six.
Cooked vegetable leftovers
How to store them
Storage is important when it comes to maximising the life of leftover cooked vegetables. Use individual airtight containers to minimise spoilage and transference of odour and flavour. Keep in the top half of the fridge alongside other cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Once cooked, most vegetables can be frozen very successfully too.
How to transform them
Many of us look forward to a Boxing Day fry-up – I like to throw any remaining braised red cabbage, stuffing and pigs-in-blankets in with the roasties and cook low and slow until crunchy on the base before topping with crispy-edge fried eggs.
Unless you’re a sprout super-fan, I’d suggest spreading the leftovers far and wide, adding a sprinkle here and there rather than trying to eat them all in one go. Shred first then try folding them into mac and cheese before baking, add to a fiery noodle stir fry or mix with crispy bacon and soft cheese before stuffing into jacket potatoes.
Roast parsnips, carrots and potatoes are all natural contenders for mashing together to make a creamy topping for a pie, hash browns or for mixing with batter to make pancakes or waffles. Root vegetables also take brilliantly to spicing for soups and easy vegetable curries, like this one.
How to make roast potato and pea curry
Fry a sliced red onion, two sliced garlic cloves and a sliced red chilli or two until softened; you can add some curry leaves or a sprinkle of whole spices such as cracked cardamom pods or a sprinkle of cumin or mustard seeds, if you wish. Stir in one to two tbsp of curry or spice paste then add 500g of leftover roast potatoes, half a tin of chopped tomatoes and 200ml of water. Simmer for 10 minutes or so then add 200g of peas and check the seasoning. Scatter with coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice and lemon wedges. Serves two.
Leftover trimmings
How to store them
Everyone’s favourite part of the Christmas feast. Make sure to save even the smallest quantities of stuffing, pigs in blankets and any sauce to use for livening up dishes throughout the week. Avoid returning any decanted sauces to the original container; just wrap and chill and aim to use up within two to three days.
How to transform them
If you’re lucky enough to have any bread sauce leftover, once it’s cool and firm, slice it, coat lightly with flour then fry until crisp to enjoy as Yorkshire toast.
For delicious pancakes, beat a couple of eggs into cold bread sauce along with any leftover scraps such as crumbled stuffing, sliced pigs in blankets, shredded cheese or sprouts. Fry spoonfuls in a non-stick pan until golden and set.
Whizz leftover cooked stuffing in a food processor with raw sausage meat or canned white beans. Shape into walnut-sized balls and cook in tomato sauce to serve with pasta or on toast.
Turn leftover stuffing into crunchy croutons for soup or salad: just cube then air fry or spread out on a baking tray and roast until golden.
How to make cranberry sauce and brie croissants
A tube of croissant dough is a great festive standby. The dough is brilliant for pressing into waffle irons to make crispy “croffles” for breakfast or for filling and rolling with any leftovers for a snack lunch.
Unroll the dough and separate along the perforations. Spread each triangle with cranberry sauce then top with 30g or so of brie or any other cheese you have to hand. Roll from the short end to the tip (they won’t be perfectly shaped but nobody minds). Sprinkle with some seeds if you wish then bake for 15 minutes or so at 200C/180C fan/gas mark six until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes and serve warm. Makes six.
Sweet leftovers
How to store them
Store leftover mince pies, cake, pudding and panettone separately in airtight containers at cool room temperature, except the pudding which should be kept chilled. All can be crumbled finely and mixed with softened vanilla cream with brilliant results.
How to transform them
It goes without saying that panettone makes the best bread and butter pudding and trifle and most of us have cottoned on to pairing Christmas pudding and cake with a creamy or piquant cheese.
My other favourite festive match is mince pies with chocolate. To strike the perfect balance I like a mix of creamy milk and bitter dark chocolate to contrast harmoniously with the spiciness of the mince pies. Delicious!
How to make mince pie and marzipan rocky road
Rocky road is a brilliant way to reinvigorate those stocking-filler odds and ends. Mini mince pies are particularly good here due to the higher ratio of pastry to filling and their cute appearance, but any size of pie will work well. Try adding treats such as cubes of nougat, small chocolates, broken biscuits or ripple through some salted caramel sauce.
Gently melt 100g of butter, one tbsp of golden syrup, 300g of milk chocolate and 150g of dark chocolate in a large saucepan, stirring until melted and well combined. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in four to eight mince pies (if they’re very small they look attractive if left whole, otherwise break into smaller pieces), 100g of diced golden marzipan and diced Turkish delight. Spoon into a lightly oiled 20cm square cake tin then cover and chill for three hours or overnight until set. Lift out of the tin and cut into 16 squares to serve.
