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The season of festive plenty is also the season of plentiful leftovers – which can dauntingly quickly fill up the fridge and freezer before you’ve even had a chance to open the first window of your advent calendar.
The trick is to not think about them as “extra food” that needs to be eaten up somehow, but as essential ingredients in themselves that can enliven other completely dishes.
Leftover bread sauce that can be transformed into crunchy croquettes, or added to the savoury custard or a tart or quiche; leftover cheese that can be melted into a fondue, or turned into wonderful deep filled pasties; and leftover veggies that can be chopped into chilli, or baked into a comforting crinkle crusted pie!
Festive cheeseboard and chutney pasties (vegetarian)
The festive cheeseboard is a true seasonal hero – as it has the potential to be transformed into countless different delectations throughout the winter break. My favourite thing to do with leftovers is to turn them into Christmas pasties, using up any chutney, quince jelly or cheese condiments you might also have left over.
Try making these with a Sparkenhoe Red Leicester from Borough Cheese Company – which is made with raw cow’s milk, has a rich nutty taste and melts wonderfully. It’s delicious paired with a traditional sharpe clothbound Pitchfork Cheddar made in Hewish, North Somerset and available at Trethowan Brothers.
You can also add in any leftover soft cheeses to the mix, like those offered up at The French Comté – such as their decadently creamy Brie de Meaux and their buttery Domain de St Loup Normandy camembert. These pasties really do work with any festive cheese accompaniment you might have: Northfield Farm offer up a banquet of Tracklements chutneys which are fantastic – like their festive Apple and Cider Brandy Chutney, their fruity Apricot and Ginger Chutney, and their sweet-heated Mango and Chilli Chutney.
At Pimento Hill, their Festive Chutney is bursting with cranberry’s, plums, spices and port; whilst their Fig and Date Chutney is just as tasty. Adding a splash of tangy vinegar to the filling amplifies all the flavours to a new level. I love the Biologico Malgihi Moderna balsamic from The Olive Oil Co which is tart, vibrant and well balanced. Melted together – in crumbly oven warm pastry – these pasties are festive hug on a plate.
Makes: 8 large pasties
Ingredients:
2 large sheet (2 x 475g) ready rolled puff pastry
175g mature cheddar or red leicester or a mix, grated
100g brie or camembert or a mix, chopped into 0.5cm cubes
1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tsp English mustard
1 large (300g) potato, cut into 0.5cm cubes
1 large (175g) carrot, grated
2 fat cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp cornflour
1 whole jar (230g) red onion or other Christmas chutney
1 large egg, whisked
Nigella seeds, to sprinkle
Method:
1. Boil the cubes of potato in boiling water for 5 minutes with a pinch of sea salt. Drain well, then leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the grated carrot, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Leave aside for 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze out the grated carrots very well so they are not soggy – keeping the vinegary liquid for salad dressings – then add to a large bowl. Next add the cooked potatoes, all of the mix of cheeses, oregano, English mustard, garlic and cornflour. Mix well so everything is evenly combined.
3. Unroll the puff pastry then make 8 x rectangular bases with dimensions of 10cm x 12cm, and 8 slightly larger x rectangular tops with dimensions 12cm x 12cm. Using 2 x baking sheets lined with baking parchment or silicon baking matts, place 4 x of the bases on one baking sheet and the other 4 x bases on the other.
4. Spread 1 tablespoon of chutney onto each of the pastry bases, leaving a rim of 0.5cm at the edges. On top of this, pile the cheese-potato mix in a compact dome – ensuring the 0.5cm rim is left empty.
5. Place the pastry lids on top of the bases, then use your fingers to press the pastry tops to the bases around the rim of each pasty. Take a fork and gently press around the perimeter. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 200C fan. Remove the chilled pasties from the fridge and use the fork to press around the edges again – ensuring that the pasties are fully sealed. Brush the tops with egg all over, then sprinkle with nigella seeds.
7. Bake the pasties for 16-18 minutes until golden brown on the outside and pipping hot in the middle. Serve warm or cold, with extra chutney on the side if you fancy.
Smoked ham, vintage gouda and bread sauce quiche
Leftover bread sauce is a rare occurrence – generally being the first thing to be devoured at any Christmas table. But in the unlikely event that you do have any left over, it’s wonderful added to the savoury-custard filling of a quiche!
Any good smoked ham works well in this recipe – and this is also a lovely way to use up any leftover charcuterie. I adore the flavour-packed Spanish hams from Brindisa, like their smoky-salty Leon Serrano or their sweet-fresh tasting Galician Roast Ham – both of which are perfect here.
You always want a strong robust cheese with any homemade quiches. Vintage Oude Beemster Gouda from Borough Cheese Company is a delicious toasty, tangy cheese that’s ideal for this – or for something a little different try their Olde Remeker which is a paler, intensely creamy cheese aged for 13 months. Alternatively, head to Une Normande a Londres where they have a sharp fruity Gruyere Suisse Reserve, and a nutty Jura Comte Vieux.
The bread sauce brings everything together, adding an additional layer of savoury flavour and a pleasing grainy texture to the set custard filling. This is delicious hot or cold: serve with a peppery green salad, a simple mustardy vinegarette and dollop of chutney on the side if you fancy.
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients:
1 large roll (475g) ready rolled shortcrust pastry
100g smoked ham, cut into 0.5cm cubes
25g butter
1 large onion, diced
1 large (160g) leek, finely sliced
10g chives, finely chopped
125ml bread sauce, cold
125ml crème fraiche
5 large eggs
100g vintage gouda or gruyere, finely grated
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
Method:
1. Unroll the shortcrust pastry, then carefully line a 20cm spring-form cake tin with the pastry – ensuring there are no bubbles or holes. Line up to the top height of the tin, with a 2cm overhang around the top perimeter – smoothing over any holes with extra pastry. Carefully place the cake tin onto a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt the butter with a splash of olive oil. Cook the sliced onions and leeks – with a pinch of salt – for 8-10 minutes until they just start to take on a little colour. Next add smoked ham and chives, then cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 200C fan. Check the chilled pastry case again for holes, filling in any gaps with extra pastry. Crumple a large sheet of baking parchment, line the inside of the chilled pastry with it, then fill with weighted baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven, take out the baking beans and parchment, then return to the oven and cook for another 6 minutes to ensure the bottom is cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, in a large jug whisk together the cold bread sauce, crème fraiche, eggs, grated gouda, black pepper, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and 3 tablespoons of cold water.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 165C fan. Remove the baking tray with the cooked pastry case from the oven. Spoon half of the leek-ham mix over the base of the pastry casing, whisk the cream-egg mix, then pour over half of it. Spoon over the rest of the leek-ham mix, then pour over the rest of the cream-egg mix. Grate more nutmeg on top if you like.
6. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut away the pastry overhang from the top edge of the cake tin, leaving a clean line. Return the filled quiche – still on its baking tray – into the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until fully set – cover the top with foil if it’s browning too quickly.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on the baking sheet – it will continue to set as it cools. Enjoy warm or cold with a green salad.
Parsnip, chestnut, Brussels sprout and sage filo pie (vegan)
A plant-based filo pie makes the perfect centre piece for any vegan guests over the festive period – like this recipe which has a shattering-crackling pastry exterior, and rich savoury veg-packed filling.
Brindisa’s naturally cooked Sativa Sweet Chestnuts are perfect to use for this occasion – grown in Galicia, Spain’s mecca for chestnuts – they have a sweet, intensely nutty flavour and rich buttery texture. As an alternative, to chestnuts try using the Roasted Kentish Cobnuts from Food and Forest, which have a pleasing grassy hazelnutty bite.
Head to Turnips for the freshest seasonal parsnips and brussel sprouts – and you can also grate in some of their unique heritage purple carrots, or prized French sandy carrots which have a nectar sweet flavour. Any fresh herbs – like sage, tarragon or oregano – work well with this combination of vegetables, and they’re always in abundance at Hickson and Daughter.
For something a little more unexpected, you could even add a pinch of lavender, some finely grated lemongrass from Raya or even a sprinkle of za’atar from Arabica to the mix.
Serves: 4-6 people
Ingredients:
7 sheets (270g) filo pastry (plant-based)
125g plant based butter
1 large onion, diced
2 large stalks (130g) celery, diced
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
10g fresh sage, finely chopped
1 large (150g) parsnip, grated
150g cooked chestnuts, chopped
500g Brussels sprouts
6 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon zest
125g coconut yoghurt
2 tbsp miso
2 tbsp sesame seeds
Method:
1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large saucepan, then add the onions, celery and garlic. Fry over medium heat for 10 minutes until they turn translucent – stirring the whole time.
2. Next add the fennel seeds, chopped sage, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the pan. Mix well and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add the grated parsnip and chestnuts, cooking these for another 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, use a sharp knife to shave the brussel sprouts into fine shreds, discarding the hard stalk ends. Add the shredded sprouts to the pan, mix well and cook for 10 minutes – adding a splash of oil if needed. Stir the whole time so they don’t catch.
4. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of fine salt the pan, mix well, then stir through the coconut yoghurt and miso. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 175C. Melt the plant-based butter in a pan, then brush all over a deep 23cm x 23cm square baking tray (or equivalent). Layer your 1st filo sheet to cover half of the baking tray, with a large overhang at the rim, then brush with more butter and layer in the 2nd filo sheet to cover the over half. Layer and butter 2 x more of the filo sheets for the base, ensuring they comes up over the side of the tray at all sides.
6. Spoon in all of the parsnip-sprout filling into of the base pastry layers, pressing down with a spatula evenly. Next place the final 3 x sheets of filo pastry over the top – brushing each one with more butter each time. Bring the pastry in at the sides, ruffling and scrunching it into a nice design around the sides of the tray to fully encase the filling.
7. Brush with more butter on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 25 minutes until golden on top. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes. Enjoy with a green salad and also delicious cold.
Recipes by Gurdeep Loyal for boroughmarket.org.uk
