Turkey, coriander and coconut spring rolls
Fresh, vibrant and full of flavour, these post-Christmas spring rolls are a great way to utilise the leftovers without compromising on quality. The key to successful spring rolls is to roll them very tightly and then give them enough time to chill and set their shape before cooking. Blotting with lots of kitchen paper as soon as they come out of the hot oil will keep them dry and crispy.
Makes about 16
750g cooked turkey, diced
150ml coconut milk
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp five spice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3cm piece ginger
1 chilli, deseeded
1½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
20 brussels sprouts, cooked and shredded
2 tbsp cornflour, whisked into 200ml cold water
Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
16 spring roll wrappers
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
1 Mix the turkey with the coconut milk, sesame oil and five spice.
2 Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or saucepan and fry the turkey mix over a high heat for 1minute, stirring continuously.
3 Blitz the garlic, ginger and chilli with the soy sauce, sugar and rice wine vinegar. Add to the turkey mix. Cook for 1 minute, then add the carrot. Cook for another minute, then add the brussels sprouts. Add half the cornflour water. Cook until it thickens, stir inthe coriander, remove from the heat and cool.
4 Lay out a spring roll wrapper like a diamond (cover the rest so they don't dry out). Place 1tbsp of mix a third of the way up. Fold the bottom edge over the mix. Brush the sides with the remaining cornflour water and fold into completely cover the mix. Pinch and rollup as tightly as you can. Brush the top cornerwith cornflour water, fold over to seal. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cooking.
5 Fill the wok (or large saucepan) to a quarter of its depth with vegetable oil. Heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 15 seconds. Lower the spring rolls into the oil in small batches. Don't overcrowd the pan, or the temperature will drop too much to fry them effectively. Deep fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with a dipping sauce of mirin, chopped ginger and soy sauce.
Recipe supplied by Guy Awford, theguildfordarms.co.uk
Blue cheese, date and walnut croquettes
These croquettes can be made in advance – just fry to order and serve hot and crisp. These have all the familiar Christmassy flavours in – stilton would work well as would gorgonzola. You could also substitute dried figs for the dates.
Makes about 20
200g dates
600ml milk
125g butter
200g plain flour
150g gorgonzola
50g chopped walnuts
Salt and black pepper
For the coating
100g plain flour
4 eggs, beaten
100g dried breadcrumbs
1 In a pan, cover the dates with water and bring to the boil to soften, then strain, lightly press in the sieve to remove excess water androughly chop.
2 In a separate pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Vigorously stir in half the milk a little at a time. Then add the rest in bigger glugs, stirring well. Add the cheese and dates. Season to taste, and cool.
3 Mould into balls, coat in flour, then egg, androll in the breadcrumbs to coat. Transfer to a chiller until ready to use.
4 Fry in hot vegetable oil in a large pan or fryer until crisp, golden brown and hot in the middle, then serve.
Adapted from a recipe supplied by Ben Tish, saltyard.co.uk
Fruitcake brulee with caramelised oranges
Use leftover Christmas pudding or any fruit cake as a base for these fantastic brulees any time of year. Blood oranges are so aromatic and make a perfect accompaniment, but if they're not in season, any variety will do.
Makes 6
1 vanilla pod
375ml double cream
xx egg yolks
60g caster sugar
150g fruit cake, diced
4 tbsp demerara sugar
For the oranges
3 blood oranges
100g demerara sugar
2 fresh bay leaves
3 cardamom pods, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
150ml red wine
1 To make the brulees, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Split the vanilla pods along their length, scrape out the seeds and put the seeds and pods in a saucepan with themilk. Heat to just below boiling point.
2 Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Remove the vanilla pods and pour the hot cream over the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
3 Divide the cake between six individual ramekins and pour the cream and egg mixture over the top.
4 Line a roasting tin with a tea towel and standthe ramekins in the tin. Pour hot water three‑quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins, cover with foil and cook for about 30 minutes, until almost set. Remove the ramekins from the tin and leave to cool. Refrigerate for about 3 hours.
5 Meanwhile, peel the oranges and cut theflesh into 1cm-thick slices.
6 Heat the sugar in a large frying pan, add thebay leaves and spices and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and is agolden caramel colour. Toss in the orange slices and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the wine and heat for another minute. Remove the oranges with a slotted spoon and arrange in a dish. Bubble the wine mixture until thick and syrupy, then remove from the heat.
7 Leave to cool before spooning over the oranges. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Just before serving, sprinkle the brulees evenly with demerara sugar and blast with ablowtorch or put under a hot grill for about 1minute, until the sugar is golden and caramelised. Serve with the chilled oranges.
The Modern Vegetarian by Maria Elia (KyleBooks)
Cheeseboard macaroni with spicy crumb topping
Use up the remnants of your cheeseboard and any half-eaten tubs of cream in this tasty treat. The crumb topping adds a lovely crunchy contrast to thegooey, comforting pasta beneath.
Serves 4-6
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 onion, finely chopped
50g plain flour
450ml milk
150ml double cream
1 tbsp English mustard
250g leftover cheese, grated
400g macaroni or penne pasta
1 thick slice sourdough bread, whizzedintocoarsecrumbs
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Tip in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously, until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Add the cream and cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Stir in the mustard, most of the cheese and plenty of seasoning, turn off the heat and set aside.
2 Cook the pasta until al dente, drain well. Stir the pasta through the cheese sauce, then pourinto a greased, ovenproof dish. Mix the breadcrumbs, paprika, chilli and remaining cheese, sprinkle over the pasta. Bake for 20‑25minutes, or until bubbling and golden.
Recipe supplied by Rosie Reynolds
Red wine chocolate cake
The wine does not – I repeat – does not, fully bake out. It will taste like there's wine in there, but not in a way that leaves you tipsy. The cinnamon plays off against the wine and chocolate fantastically, but not so much that it competes with either.
Serves 8
85g unsalted butter, at room temperature
180g dark brown sugar
50g white granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
180ml red wine
1 tsp vanilla extract
135g flour
40g cocoa powder
⅛ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
For the cream
120g mascarpone
120g chilled double cream
25g sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 For the cake, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Line the bottom of a 20cm cake tinwith parchment, and either butter and lightly flour the parchment and exposed sidesof the tin, or spray the interior withanon‑stick spray.
2 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set tomedium speed, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and yolk, and beat well, then the red wine and vanilla. Don't worry if the batter looks a little uneven. Sift the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together, right over your wet ingredients. Mix until almost combined, then fold the rest together with arubber spatula.
3 Spread the batter in the prepared tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre. The top of the cake should be shiny and smooth, like a puddle ofchocolate. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, then flip out of tin and cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack. This cake keeps well at room temperature, or in the fridge.
4 To make the cream, whisk the mascarpone, cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Dollop generously on each slice of cake. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
Recipe supplied by Deb Perlman, smittenkitchen.com
Bean and ham stew with parsley and rosemary pistou
A drizzle of the parsley-rosemary pistou adds a note of brightness to this dish, so make sure you take the extra 5 minutes to whip it up.
Serves 4
400g dried butter beans
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 peppercorns
7 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
1 litre vegetable stock
225g leftover ham, chopped
Salt, to taste
For the pistou
Small bunch flat leaf parsley, densely packed
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, destemmed
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 garlic clove
½ tsp salt
½ tsp lemon zest
150ml olive oil
1 tbsp finely grated parmesan
1 Soak the beans overnight in cold water, or inboiling water for at least 4 hours.
2 Next, prepare the pistou. Pulse the parsley, rosemary, pine nuts, garlic, salt, lemon zest and oil in a blender or food processor. Leave themixture a littlebit chunky in texture. Stir in the cheese. Itshould have the consistency ofaloose pesto, and can be stored in the fridge forseveral days.
3 Discard the bean water. In a lidded casserole dish, heat the olive oil and fry the shallots andgarlic until lightly browned. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until they have been evenly coated in the oil. Pour inthe stock and bring briefly to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook partially covered until the beans are soft, about 1 hour.
4 For a soupier consistency, add more stock as it begins to be absorbed. You may need to add a bit of salt if your ham did not impart enough. Serve with a couple of spoonfuls of the pistou.
Recipe supplied by Laura Silverman, gluttonforlife.com
Hot and sour turkey soup
This is a really simple soup to make with leftover turkey, turkey stock and also veg. Youcan substitute any of the veg for whatever you've got in the fridge and if you'd like to make it more substantial add some noodles. The tom yum paste isavailable from most supermarkets and is a great, versatile ingredient to have in the fridge.
Serves 2
2 tbsp tom yum paste
2 tsp tomato puree
1 carrot, cut into thin strips
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
⅓ leek, thinly sliced
1 tsp diced ginger
1 tsp diced lemongrass
1.5 litres turkey or veg stock
1.5 litres water
800g leftover brown and white turkey meat
¼ cabbage (any type but red), shredded
Lime juice, to taste
Fresh coriander, chopped, for garnishing
1 Add all ingredients apart from the coriander and cabbage to a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, then add the cabbage for another 5 minutes. Finally finish with fresh lime juice and chopped coriander.
Recipe supplied by Eric Snaith, titchwellmanor.com
Boxing day veg curry
This is a beautiful, full-flavoured, creamy dish that hails from Kerala. You can make this with whatever leftover veg you have from your Christmas dinner. Serve with rice, naan orparatha, or even the rice noodles, which are often eaten in Kerala.
Serves 4
6 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
5cm cinnamon stick
6 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
10 black peppercorns
2 star anise
15 curry leaves
1 onion, finely sliced
20g fresh root ginger, peeled weight, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-4 green chillies, whole but pierced (optional)
½ tsp turmeric
¼–½ tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp fennel seeds, roughly powdered
Salt, to taste
500g leftover vegetables (starchy ones are best)
400ml coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut cream (optional)
¾–1 tsp tamarind paste, or to taste
2 handfuls of green peas, fresh or frozen and defrosted
Coriander leaves, for garnishing
1 Heat the oil in a wide pan (a karahi or wok isideal). Add the whole spices and, once the seeds have stopped popping, the curry leaves. Follow immediately with the onion and cook over a moderate heat until translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and fry gently for1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is cooked.
2 Add the turmeric, chilli, coriander, fennel and salt with a splash of water and cook for 2minutes. Add in the vegetables and cook in the spice paste for another 2 minutes. Pour in water so it comes one-third of the way up the veg, bring to a boil, then lower the flame andcook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid should have reduced quite a bit. Add most of the coconut milk (tryand add only the thin milk that collects atthe bottom of the can), cover and cook foranother5 minutes.
3 Uncover and cook off most of the excess liquid, giving the pan the occasional stir. Thenstir in the remaining thick coconut milk, coconut cream (if using), tamarind and peas; the dish should be creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4 Simmer for three to four minutes, then serve with the coriander leaves.
Recipe supplied by Anjum Anand
Cabbage and bacon soup with stilton and chestnut croquettes
The croquettes should ooze the liquid stilton into the soup, adding a rich, intense flavour.
Serves 4
250g bacon
1 large onion, finely chopped
xxxx garlic
500g white cabbage, shredded
2 large potatoes, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes
750ml strong, dark turkey stock
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, picked (not chopped)
For the croquettes
200g stilton, rind removed and coarsely grated or chopped into small pieces
100g chopped chestnuts
2 tbsp chopped parsley
100g plain flour
3 eggs, beaten
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 Cook the bacon, onion and garlic in a heavy‑based saucepan over a high heat. Addthe cabbage and potatoes and cook for 2minutes before adding the stock and bringing to the boil. If you have any leftover turkey, shred it and add it at this point too. Reduce the heat to a simmer and leave uncovered for 15 minutes or until potato is soft. Season with salt and pepper.
2 Next, make the croquettes. Mix the stilton, chestnuts and parsley, form into small balls and put in the fridge for45 minutes to harden. Roll the balls in flourthen dip into the beaten eggs and finallyinto the breadcrumbs, ensuring a goodeven coverage. Return tothefridge againfor 10 minutes.
3 Fry gently in 2-3 inches of vegetable oil untilgolden brown and floating.
4 Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, top with the remaining parsley and the croquettes.
Recipe supplied by James Lyon Shaw
Chive scones with dolcelatte and cranberry
These scones are good cold, but even better warm out of the oven. They can also be frozen, so easy to whip out if someone pops in.
Makes 12
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
50g butter
25g chives, chopped
100ml milk
1 egg, beaten
75g cranberry sauce
50g rocket
100g dolcelatte
1 To make the scones, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour to make breadcrumbs. Add thechives, then carefully add the milk a littleat atime. Bind to make a dough, thenrest for 1hour in the fridge.
2 Roll out the dough to ½in thickness, then cut out with a small (35cm) cutter. Egg wash the top of the scones and bake for 20 minutes at 160C/325F/gas mark 3 until risen and golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Halve the scones, place 1 tsp cranberry sauce on to the open side of the scone, stick a rocket leaf on top and place a small triangle of the dolcelatte to finish.
Recipe supplied by Lyndy Redding, absolutetaste.com
