Some of the UK's most acclaimed chefs propose simple solutions for reusing Christmas leftovers. Turkey, one of the culinary dishes that gives cause for concern when it is not completely consumed, can be transformed into delicious new dishes, they show.
Leftover turkey after Christmas can be reused in many recipes. Source: Pixabay.com
Along with pork dishes that are almost always present on festive tables, turkey meat has also made its way into the preferences of many Romanian families, being considered “lighter” than traditional pork dishes.
Often, Christmas turkey recipes don't end up being completely consumed, and the leftovers leave people confused. Several UK Michelin-starred chefs have come up with ingenious recipes to use up leftover meat after Christmas in other delicious dishes that can be eaten in the days to come.
“Vol-au-vent with turkey and sauce suprême”
Alain Roux, a Berkshire chef awarded with three Michelin stars, has proposed, according to The Times, a simple and versatile recipe to make the most of leftover turkey, called “Vol-au-vent with turkey and sauce suprême”.
The puff pastry for vol-au-vent can be prepared a few days in advance and baked on the day of serving. The assembly of the dish, however, must be done at the last moment, he recalls.
ingredients
Vol-au-vent
1 kg puff pastry (quick or with butter, bought)
Flour for sprinkling
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 teaspoons of milk and a pinch of salt, for spreading
Filling
150 g champignon mushrooms
300 ml chicken (or vegetable) soup, for poaching the mushrooms
200g leftover cooked stuffing (cut into chunks or slices)
100 g remaining cooked chestnuts
300g leftover cooked turkey (cubes, chunks or slices)
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Sauce
15 g of butter
15 g white flour
250 ml of the liquid left over from boiling the mushrooms
150 ml of remaining champagne
150 ml cooking cream (double)
20 g cold butter, cut into cubes
Salt, ground pepper and nutmeg
Method of preparation
Preheat the oven to 210°C and line a tray with baking paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a size of 80 × 30 cm and a thickness of 3–4 mm.
Cut out 3 dough circles with a diameter of 24 cm. Place one on the prepared tray and brush lightly with the egg mixture.
With a 16 cm cake ring, cut out the second circle. Lift the outer ring and place it over the first greased circle. Butter it lightly and cover with the third circle. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
With a small knife, score the edges of the vol-au-vent vertically all around to a depth of 1mm. Brush the entire surface with egg.
With the tip of the knife, mark a 4 cm border on top, drawing lines in a quarter circle. Inside the edge, grow a mesh pattern — this will become the cap.
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until golden on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and, with the tip of a knife, cut out the center lid. Carefully lift it up, then remove and discard the raw dough inside.
Transfer the vol-au-vent casing to a wire rack and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C.
Put the clean mushrooms, the 300 ml of soup, a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5–6 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and reserve the liquid for the sauce.
For the sauce, prepare a white roux: melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the flour and mix with a whisk. Return to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour the 250ml (preferably cold) reserved liquid over the roux, stirring constantly, then cook over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the champagne and cream. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
On a low heat, incorporate the cold butter and season to taste. Keep warm until serving.
To serve, heat the stuffing, chestnuts, turkey and mushrooms in the oven for 7–8 minutes until hot.
Heat the vol-au-vent case in the oven for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a warm platter.
Place stuffing and chestnuts inside, followed by turkey and mushrooms. Pour sauce suprême on top and sprinkle with parsley.
Place the puff pastry lid on top, slightly tilted, and serve immediately. Serve the rest of the sauce separately.
Turkey pie
Alain Ducasse, the owner of a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Dorchester, proposes, according to The Times, to turn leftover turkey or capon (rooster) into an “elegant” pie. He proposes the following recipe:
Ingredients for capon or turkey pie
1 kg capon or turkey left over (deboned — thigh, breast, wings)
100 g baked parsnips (leftover)
100 g carrots (leftover)
100 g mushrooms (fresh or leftover)
1 bunch of fresh greens (parsley, chives, hasmatuchi — or whatever you have on hand)
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small leek, washed and sliced
100 g ripe chestnuts
100 g of butter
100 g of flour
1 l hot milk
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 sheet of puff pastry
Method of preparation
Sauté the onion, celery, leek and celeriac (if using) in butter, with a little salt, over low heat, without browning. After the onions have soaked well, add the mushrooms and continue cooking until all the liquid left by them evaporates.
When the liquid has reduced, add the flour, mix, then start pouring the milk gradually. After the milk is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth, cook the sauce for another 15 minutes to “bake” the flour.
Season with salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. Add the carrots and parsnips, then the coarsely chopped chestnuts. Incorporate the turkey or capon meat torn into large pieces. Mix, add the chopped greens and check the taste. Transfer the mixture to a tray and let it cool.
Cover with puff pastry, brush with egg (twice, the second time just before baking) and bake at 180°C for about 25 minutes, until the dough is well risen and browned.
Remove from the oven and let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with a spoonful of cranberry sauce on the side and — as recommended by the maestro — a glass of sparkling wine.
Simple soup
Turkey meat and bones can be used in a new soup, recommended by Andrew Wong, a two-Michelin-starred chef, acclaimed for the Chinese restaurant that bears his name.
Ingredients for simple soup
Turkey bones
Leftover turkey meat
Clear chicken soup
Ginger
Green onion
Star anise
Cassia bark
Bay leaves
Method of preparation
Place the turkey bones and meat in a light chicken stock. Add the ginger, green onion, star anise, cassia and bay leaves. Then “cook very slowly, without boiling too much.”
Christmas soup
Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, who owns a restaurant in Somerset, also proposes a heartier soup, suitable for a large family
Ingredients for Christmas soup
Turkey carcass or leftover pieces with a little meat on them
1 head of garlic, cut in half
2 leeks (green parts separated)
A small sprig of thyme
2 bay leaves
2 carrots
2 turnips
2 potatoes
Coarse salt (gris or Maldon salt)
Pepper
A handful of chopped tarragon
Dijon mustard and grain mustard
Pickles
Optional: stuffing, bacon, spelled or cooked barley
Method of preparation
Find a pot large enough for the carcass or turkey pieces, with a little room to spare. Place the turkey in the pot and add enough cold water to cover it. Add the garlic, the green part of the leek, the thyme and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer on low heat for 25–30 minutes, then remove the turkey and let it rest on a plate. Remove and discard the herbs, leeks and garlic.
While the turkey is cooking, peel the carrots, turnips and potatoes and cut them into large pieces. Cut the onion and the white part of the leek into similar pieces, without worrying about the shape — the vegetables should have a rustic appearance.
Taste the soup and season generously with salt—it should be salty enough to penetrate the vegetables. Add the vegetables and possibly the stuffing or grains (if using), then simmer until the vegetables are cooked but retain their structure.
While the vegetables are cooking, I scoop all the meat off the turkey carcass and add it back to the soup along with the cooked vegetables. Taste again and add more pepper and salt if needed.
To serve, place the pot in the middle of the table, along with chopped greens, pickles, mustard, salt and pepper. Enjoy the meat and vegetables with these accompaniments, and drink the leftover soup separately or use it later for other soups, stocks or slow-cooked dishes.
“Stovies” in puff pastry
Chef Robbie Jameson, who runs a Michelin-starred restaurant, proposes a recipe that uses leftovers from Christmas Day to make 'stovies', a traditional Scottish food served in the form of patties.
Stovies – filling (for 4–6 pies)
ingredients
150 g baked potatoes
100 g cooked vegetables (carrot, parsnip, broccoli or whatever vegetables you like)
150 g cooked turkey (can be replaced with beef, pork or any meat you prefer; you can combine several types or even Christmas filling)
200 ml gravy sauce
30 g of butter
5 g chopped parsley
Method of preparation
Cut the potatoes, vegetables and meat into small pieces (approx. 2 cm — important not to be too big, otherwise it will be difficult to enclose them in the dough). Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Ingredients for the dough
1 kg puff pastry (commercial is perfect)
20 g large rolled oats (optional)
2 egg yolks mixed with 2 tablespoons of milk
Sea salt
Method of preparation
Roll out the dough (if it's not already rolled out) and use a plate as a template to cut out circles (I prefer 12-14cm plates, but it's a matter of taste). Cut with a small knife and repeat until you have the desired number of circles.
Place the circles on the counter and brush the edges (approx. 1 cm) with the yolk mixture. Spoon the stovie filling into the center (quantity is key: too much filling and the dough won't close, too little and you'll be disappointed).
Fold the dough in half, forming a semicircle, keeping the filling at least 1 cm from the edge. Seal the edges and press them with the back of a fork.
Transfer the patties to a tray lined with baking paper, brush them with the egg mixture, sprinkle with oatmeal and a pinch of salt. Bake at 170°C for 23–25 minutes. After baking, carefully transfer them to a wire rack and let them rest for 10 minutes before eating.
