Is there anything more satisfying than the sight of a Christmas table weighted down with platters of festive food? While 'tis the season to treat yourself, all that excess and abundance can lead to an alarming amount of food waste. But instead of consigning your leftover turkey, potatoes, veggies, gravy, breads and pudding to the bin, take your cues from the dozen chefs' recipes here, and whip them up into yet another feast for the days to come.
Break (stale) bread
Salvo Sardo, chef de cuisine of Ronda Locatelli, says: “In Italy, we are big consumers of bread and consider it a consecration of God. So there are unwritten rules that Italians follow about bread. For example, we never put it on the table upside down, we never bite it (exception for panini), but instead break it with our hands. We never throw away bread, but if we do, we give it a kiss before it is thrown out as it feels like a sin. And we have many recipes for leftover bread.”
1) Pappa al Pomodoro
Ingredients
2 tbsp garlic oil
500g tomato paste
420g sundried tomato paste
600g tomato sauce
800g stale bread
1 litre vegetable stock
42g salt
6g sugar
Method
Pour the garlic oil into a pan and add the tomato paste, sundried tomato paste and tomato sauce.
Put the bread into a pan, add the tomato mix, and stock and season with salt and sugar.
Leave to cook for 40 minutes.
Pass this mix through a strainer and wait until it cools down.
Eat cold with burrata or serve warm as a starter.
2) Panzanella bread salad
Ingredients
Ingredients
200g stale white bread without crust, diced into 2cm chunks
4 tbsp vinegar
3 tomatoes on the vine, diced into 2cm chunks, or 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 large red onion, diced into 2cm chunks
Big bunch of basil
Salt and pepper
5 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
Leftover vegetables to serve (capsicum, carrots, celery, cucumber and olives all work)
Method
There are two ways to make a panzanella – one is classic and the other is the way I prefer it.
For the classic way, soak the bread in the vinegar. Then add the tomatoes, onion and shreds of basil. Season with salt and pepper and add the olive oil. Stir together and set aside.
A second way is to deep-fry the bread to make it crunchy, then mix all the ingredients and add a touch of oregano. Eat it as a stand-alone dish, or pair it with cheese or grilled fish. Toss both with the leftover vegetables.
3) Polpette di pane bread meatballs
Ingredients for the sauce
50ml olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 can chopped tomatoes
Handful of fresh basil
Sea salt and pepper
Red hot pepper flakes (optional)
Ingredients for the meatballs
50g stale bread, crusts removed
1 garlic clove, peeled
240g grated grana padano cheese
Fresh parsley leaves
600g minced beef, veal or other combined leftover meat
5 large eggs
Method
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Add the onion, and cook over a medium heat until tender, about four minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and basil, mix well, and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Add an additional cup of water to your sauce and mix well.
While the sauce is simmering start your meatballs. In a food processor, pulse the bread and garlic until you have created coarse crumbs.
Add the cheese and parsley, and pulse briefly until mixed.
Empty the bread mixture into a bowl, and begin to add the meat of your choice and one egg at a time, using as many as needed, until you have created a mixture that is still moist, but firm enough to handle.
Using your hands, form small egg-sized balls and lower carefully into the sauce.
Continue to use up the remaining bread mixture making as many balls as you can.
Simmer on a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, then gently turn the meatballs over.
Simmer another 10 minutes, adding additional water if the sauce begins to thicken too much.
To serve, place a large spoonful of the sauce into a bowl and then add three meatballs on top. Repeat until you have four bowls.
Three-course concoction
Kate Christou and Jesse Blake know a thing or two about cooking with scraps. The culinary duo regularly host “no-waste suppers” at their Dubai restaurant Lowe, using everything from potato peels to fish heads to concoct gourmet dishes. Here, they share three recipes for your leftovers, covering starters, a main course and dessert.
4) Roast turkey croquettes in gravy sauce
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups of stuffing, leftover roast onions, garlic and herbs such as rosemary and thyme
¼ cup parsley, chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
(or use leftover mash)
350g cooked turkey, chopped fine
2 eggs, whisked
Salt and fresh pepper
¼ cup plain flour
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil spray
Leftover turkey gravy for serving
Method
Saute the stuffing in oil over a low heat and cook until soft. Remove from heat. Add the parsley, mashed potatoes, turkey and one egg, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Form mixture into croquettes.
Dip each croquette in the flour, then the egg, and then the panko breadcrumbs.
Heat oil to 200°C. Fry the croquettes until golden brown and serve with gravy.
5) Cranberry char sui glazed vegetables
Ingredients
⅓ cup cranberry sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup sweet soy sauce
60ml rice vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 small knob ginger
1 tsp Chinese five spice
500g leftover roasted vegetables
Method
Mix the sauces and spices together. Place in a pot and simmer over a low heat until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and cool.
Press the roasted vegetables on to a skewer and glaze with the char sui sauce. Grill on a barbecue.
6) Christmas pudding ice cream, red currant ripple
Ingredients
1 litre milk
1 litre cream
400g sugar
1 tbsp vanilla paste
500g egg yolks
300g Christmas pudding or mince pie chunks
500g currant jelly
50g sugar
3 tbsp water
Method
Warm and infuse the milk, cream, 200g of the sugar and vanilla paste.
Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar.
Temper the eggs with the warmed cream mixture, return to the pot and heat to 78°C.
Strain into a bowl over an ice bath.
Add Christmas pudding bits and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
Blend and pass through a chinois. Pour the cooled custard into an ice-cream machine, and churn until thick and smooth.
Meanwhile, for the ripple sauce, place the currant jelly, sugar and water into a large pan and bring to the boil, stirring regularly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Strain through a sieve into a clean pan. Return to the heat and bring it to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the mixture resembles a thick syrup. Set aside until completely cooled.
Spoon a third of the ice-cream mixture into a freezable container. Spoon over half of the cooled ripple sauce. Repeat the process until the container has three layers of ice cream and two layers of ripple sauce.
Using a blunt knife, marble the ice cream and ripple sauce lightly, then cover the container with a lid and freeze for three to four hours, or until solid.
Surf 'n' turf
Ruben Guerrero Simon, executive chef of 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant, says: “I recommend taking into consideration portions based on the number of confirmed guests. You can always have some leftovers, but it should not be more than two or three portions if the party is for 10 to 20 people. I normally cook tuna, foie gras and prawns for starters in the festive season, so if there are any leftovers, I can make gyozas the next day, with a sauce from the head of the prawns as a garnish. If you don’t have gyoza wrappers, then turn these ingredients into either croquettes or an omelette. For the croquettes, you can use the leftovers of the turkey and any other meats. If you are left with big amounts, you can always prepare it and freeze to cook later.”
7) Meat croquettes
Ingredients
5 eggs
150g butter
160g flour
1 litre milk
200g meat leftovers, minced or cut into small pieces
9g salt
Panko breadcrumbs for coating
Method
Boil four of the eggs. Once cooled, grate them and save for later.
Melt the butter in a pot, add the flour and cook on a low heat until it starts to go golden. Heat the milk and add it slowly to the roux (butter and flour) mixing it in continuously.
Once mixed in thoroughly, add the grated eggs, meat and salt, and check the flavour. Blend it all together and leave the mix to cool down.
Once cool, make balls of about 35g each from the mix. Keep them in the fridge as you prepare the mixture for coating.
Crack the last egg into a bowl and whisk until you get uniform consistency. Bathe the balls in the egg, remove and cover with the panko breadcrumbs. Repeat this step twice, first egg, then breadcrumbs. Bake or fry, according to your preference, or freeze and cook later on.
8) Seafood gyoza
Ingredients
300g chopped prawns and fish leftovers (raw)
50g chives
3 pieces spring onion greens
15g grated ginger
10ml soy sauce
2g salt
2g sugar
5ml sesame oil
10ml rice vinegar
Black pepper, to taste
Method
Mix all the ingredients and place inside gyoza wraps. Optional: add a cube of about three grams of foie gras to each portion.
Steam for four minutes and sear in a pan with a touch of oil so they don’t stick.
Spring into action
Mian Imran, executive chef at Mercure Dubai Barsha Heights Hotel Suites & Apartments, says: “Be wise about avoiding food waste and arrange a get-together on Boxing Day, too. With this weather, hosting a little backyard picnic is an excellent way to make the most of what you’ve got left. There are many simple ways to turn your leftover turkey, cold cuts and potatoes into truly delicious post-party meals.”
9) Turkey, coriander and coconut spring rolls
The key to successful spring rolls is to roll them tightly and give them enough time to set their shape before cooking. Blot them as soon as they come out of the hot oil to keep them dry and crispy.
Ingredients
750g cooked turkey, diced
150ml coconut milk
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp five spice seasoning
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3cm ginger
1 chilli, deseeded
1½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 carrot, peeled and julienne
20 Brussels sprouts, cooked and shredded
2 tbsp cornflour, whisked in 200ml cold water
Handful coriander, chopped
16 spring roll wrappers
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Method
Mix the turkey, coconut milk, sesame oil and five spice.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok. Fry the turkey mix over a high heat for one minute, stirring continuously.
Blitz the garlic, ginger and chilli with the soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar. Add to the turkey mix. Cook for a minute, then add the carrot. Cook for another minute, then add the Brussels sprouts.
Add half the cornflour water. Cook until it thickens, stir in the coriander. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Lay out a spring roll wrapper like a diamond. Place a tbsp of the mix a third of the way up and fold the bottom edge over it. Brush the sides with the remaining cornflour water and fold in to completely cover the mix, or fold over to leave the ends open. Pinch and roll up as tightly as you can. Brush the top corner with cornflour water, fold to seal. You can also fold the rolls leaving the ends open. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cooking.
Fill the wok to a quarter of its depth with vegetable oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped in turns golden-brown in 15 seconds. Lower the spring rolls into the oil in batches and deep-fry until golden brown.
Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with a dipping sauce of rice vinegar, chopped ginger and soy sauce.
Simple sandwiches
Raymond Wong, chef de cuisine at Seafire Steakhouse, says: “I have been perfecting my leftover turkey recipe for the last 20 years now. It hardly takes any time and everything you need will be available around the kitchen during this period. There are no measurements as a sandwich can be filled with as much or as little as you want. One half of it is sweet from the cranberry sauce, and the other holds a tangy spiciness with Dijon mustard. The two halves are united with succulent turkey meat, sausages and melted Brie. Toasted to perfection until the ciabatta bread is golden and served along with leftover gravy, I give you the TLC.”
10) Turkey leftover Christmas sandwich
Ingredients
Shredded turkey meat
Ciabatta bread
Goose fat or butter for toasting the bread
Chopped sausages
Brussels sprouts
Dijon mustard
Cranberry sauce
Brie or any other cheese you have
Rocket or other leaves
Leftover gravy
Method
Take the turkey meat off the bones and set aside. You can either discard the bones or use them to make stock.
Slice the ciabatta bread in half and brush lightly with goose fat or butter.
Chop the leftover sausages along with the Brussels sprouts
Start to assemble the TLC sandwich by spreading one half of the bread with Dijon mustard and the other with leftover cranberry sauce. Lay the turkey meat on one side, followed by the sausage mix, Brie and rocket.
Unite the two halves and toast on a panini-maker until the bread is crusty and golden, and the melted cheese starts to spill out.
Heat the gravy and use for dipping.
Howard Ko, executive chef of Ce La Vi Dubai, says: “Christmas is a time of year where a whole turkey is always a great centrepiece and the main attraction for dinner. And leftover turkey also has so much flavour. Here is a sandwich and turkey dip I make for my family the day after.”
11) Christmas sandwich with turkey broth dip
Ingredients and method for the sandwich
Leftover turkey meat
Cranberry sauce
Gravy mixed with Dijon mustard
2 slices of French bread
Leftover turkey stuffing
Assemble the sandwich and toast lightly in the oven
Ingredients and method for the dip
Turkey bones
Onion
Carrot
Thyme
Garlic
Celery
Water or chicken broth to cover
Ground white pepper and sea salt, to taste
Chopped parsley, to taste
Cut the turkey bones into small pieces and cook in a pot for four hours with all the other ingredients (except the parsley).
Strain the broth and add the parsley.
Serve the toasted sandwich with the broth.
Savoury muffins
Michael White, head chef and owner of Altamarea Group and Marea, DIFC, says: “There’s nothing better than leftovers. I would use them to make ‘stuffin’ muffins’. You take non-stick cupcake tins, cover the bottom of each with leftover stuffing and fill the top with a mix from the below recipe.”
12) Stuffin’ muffins
Ingredients
2 cups leftover stuffing
450g leftover dark meat sliced turkey
450g leftover white meat sliced turkey
450g leftover roasted vegetables
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 cups leftover gravy
Method
Combine all the ingredients (except the gravy and a bit of mash) and stuff in a cupcake tin. Drop a dollop of mashed potatoes on top of each one before baking.
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Place the tin in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Reheat the leftover gravy and pour over each muffin.
