Safia Shakarchi
My gran used to fry off onions and sage in a pan and then add an array of her favourite leftovers. I do the same now, just with all the veg. It makes a hearty Northern, crispy fried leftover sandwich. Don’t forget to bring back any leftover cranberry or apple sauce sauces to dress it, and finish with a splash of gravy.
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Make a paratha with leftover turkey. Firstly, chop your turkey. Next, mix any leftover vegetables with some spices (I recommend red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, and cumin powder), plus a little green chilli for heat, and coriander for freshness. If you love cheese, add cheese! Combine everything, and stuff it into a wholewheat dough (made with wholewheat flour, salt and water). Roll the dough out and cook both sides on a griddle. Spread some butter. When it’s lovely and crispy and golden, you’re ready to eat. You could also use the same mix to stuff into naan bread, or to make a deliciously Christmassy toastie.
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Use up any leftover turkey and ham in a pie. Fry 10 quartered chestnut mushrooms with some butter and thyme and mix in a bowl with 350g of turkey and 200g of ham. Then mix with a warm bechamel sauce and allow to cool completely. Roll out pastry into a tart case and fill with the turkey and ham mix. Cover with a pastry lid and bake in the oven for roughly an hour until you have a golden pastry.
Richard Corrigan, Bentley’s
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I use any excess bread sauce to make a savoury bread pudding. Take half a pint of bread sauce, add two eggs and mix well. Pour the mixture into a terrine mould or loaf tin and bake it slowly in the oven. Chill and serve sliced, topped with turkey breast or cold ham. I also like to make pancakes with leftover chunks of Christmas pudding, served with a big dollop of brandy cream or ice cream.
Credit Mariell Lind Hansen
For something light, slice some Brussels sprouts very thinly and use raw as a base for a slaw or salad with some cold shredded meat, chopped-up roast potatoes and whatever else you have or fancy (salted nut mix, olives, etc). Toss with a fresh dressing of olive oil and lemon juice and add some dried chilli for a bit of a kick.
Elliott Grover, 45 Park Lane
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Mix all your leftovers in a large bowl and smash them all together with a bit of Worcestershire sauce and wholegrain mustard. Then roll into walnut size balls, breadcrumb them, and fry at 180 degrees till golden brown and delicious. Add some creamed horseradish to your cranberry sauce and use that as your dip.
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We always boil up the turkey carcass to make stock and use that for a turkey and leftovers soup on Boxing Day. If you’ve had cauliflower cheese on Christmas Day, stir that in too — it makes the soup nice and creamy.
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I love ham and cheese toasties over the Christmas period. I like to use gammon or turkey breast with Brie and sourdough bread.
Alex Dilling, Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
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Make a Christmas burrito. Buy some large soft flour tortillas. Fill them generously with all the leftovers plus a good grating of cheese and some Cholula hot sauce. Wrap in foil and toast on all sides in a dry pan for about 12 minutes in total. Enjoy followed by a nap.
Nikita Pathakji, the Princess of Shoreditch
I’m a big fan of the classic Boxing Day leftover sandwich. Mine usually has creamed leeks, turkey, stuffing, some cranberry sauce and a bowl of gravy to dunk. I don’t like it when the sandwich is too messy. If I’m at my mum’s, she will make a Bridget Jones-inspired turkey curry – basically butter chicken but with turkey.
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I make an ultimate turkey club sandwich with sliced turkey, sliced pigs in blankets, tomato, lettuce, mustard mayo and cranberry sauce. I also like a potato, sprout and blue cheese gratin with crushed leftover roasties and leftover roast sprouts with crumbled blue cheese, spiked with red onion chutney and topped with stuffing breadcrumbs.
Jacob Kenedy, Bocca di Lupo
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This year my plan is already set — I made a mole of pumpkin seeds, peanuts, ancho and arbol chillies, chipotle, pasilla, roast tomato, chocolate and raisins. I’ll shred leftover turkey breast and warm it in the mole with a little stock, and serve it with fresh corn tortillas (possibly enchiladas), and inside tamales. Most years, however, I fry up some dark roux, add green pepper, onion and celery, then some okra, smoked sausage and stock and finally chunked leftover turkey meat for a seasonally vital gumbo (pictured top).
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St Stephen’s Day (or Boxing Day as it’d called in the UK) is a day where no one wants to cook but there’s a house full of food. So think about what requires the least amount of effort: a toasted sandwich or spicy turkey pasta. Or make a Christmas soup: lash the leftover veggies in a blender with some milk and chicken stock and serve with chopped meat and roast spuds in the centre.