by Jamie Oliver
SERVES 8
30 MINUTES
PLUS RESTING
3 cups quality Tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
½ cup fine semolina
12 large eggs
extra virgin olive oil
THE DOUGH Pile the flour and semolina into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the well, putting the egg whites into a sandwich bag and popping into the freezer for making meringue another day (see here). Add 2 tablespoons of oil and ¼ cup of cold water to the well, then use a fork to whip up with the eggs until smooth, gradually bringing the flour in from the outside. When it becomes too hard to mix, get your clean floured hands in there and bring it together into a ball of dough. Knead on a clean flour-dusted surface for around 4 minutes, or until smooth and elastic (eggs can vary in size and flour can vary in humidity; this dough shouldn’t be too wet or dry, but tweak it with a touch more water or flour if you need to—use your instincts). Wrap in plastic wrap and leave to relax for 30 minutes.
ROLLING OUT Traditionally, Italians would have used a very large rolling pin, and you can do that, too, if you like—it just requires a large flat surface and a bit of elbow grease. I think it’s fun and advisable to use a pasta machine. Attach it firmly to a nice clean table and divide your pasta dough into four pieces, covering everything with a damp clean kitchen towel to stop it drying out as you go.
STAGE 1 One at a time, flatten each piece of dough by hand and run it through the thickest setting, then take the rollers down two settings and run the dough through again to make it thinner. Importantly, fold it in half and run it back through the thickest setting again—I repeat this a few times because it makes the dough super-smooth and means it fills out the pasta machine properly.
STAGE 2 Start rolling the sheet down through each setting, dusting with flour as you go. Turn the crank with one hand while the other maintains just a little tension to avoid any kinks, folds, or ripples. Take it right down to your desired thickness, and there you have it—your own pasta, made from scratch.
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CRACKING RECIPES
As well as helping you to celebrate your festive leftovers with my Lasagne (see here) and Cannelloni (see here), use this to hero seasonal veg in my Cracker ravioli (see here).
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WINTER RAGÙ
LOVELY LEFTOVER MEAT IN A SWEET TOMATO & RED WINE SAUCE
Simple and delicious, this ragù makes the most of all your lovely leftover meat from the festive season, also giving you lots of further meal options. If you can, embrace a mixture of meats, and any gravy will be delicious in the mix, too.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
2 HOURS
1 red onion
1 clove of garlic
1 carrot
1 leek
1 stalk of celery
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
olive oil
1 fresh bay leaf
¾ cup + 5 teaspoons Chianti
2 × 14-oz cans of plum tomatoes
14 oz leftover cooked meat
extra virgin olive oil
Peel the onion, garlic, and carrot, wash the leek and trim with the celery, and pick the rosemary leaves. Finely chop it all, adding it as you go to a large casserole pan on a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the bay. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the veg have softened, stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat up to high, pour in the wine and let it cook away for a few minutes, then tip in the tomatoes. Half-fill each empty can with water and swirl around, then pour into the pan. Roughly chop or tear in the leftover meat, stir well, and bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Reduce to a low heat and simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until thick and delicious. Taste, season to perfection, then stir in a little extra virgin olive oil, to finish.
Serve the ragù with fresh pasta, fluffy rice, oozy polenta, jacket potatoes, or hunks of crusty bread for dipping. Or use it as a filling for my delicious Lasagne (see here), Cannelloni (see here), or Baked buns (see here).
CANNELLONI
CRISPY TURKEY SKIN & CHESTNUT PANGRATTATO, WINTER RAGÙ
This is one of those beautiful recipes that’s a lovely ritual to follow when you’ve got a batch of my Winter ragù in the fridge or freezer ready to go. Using leftover turkey skin and chestnuts to add crunch and contrast on the top is genius.
SERVES 8
2 HOURS
1 × Royal pasta dough (see here)
1¾ lbs Winter ragù (see here)
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 fresh bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2½ cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
1¾ oz Parmesan cheese
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
7 oz vac-packed chestnuts
1¾ oz leftover cooked turkey skin
Make your Royal pasta dough (see here) and Winter ragù (see here).
For the white sauce, peel and finely slice the onion and garlic. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf and cook for 25 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water, if needed. Stir in the flour, then, splash-by-splash, stir in the milk. Keep stirring over the heat until your sauce is smooth and thick, then finely grate in the Parmesan and mix well. Discard the bay leaf, then taste the sauce and season to perfection with sea salt, black pepper, and a fine grating of nutmeg.
Meanwhile, blitz the chestnuts and leftover turkey skin in a food processor, then cook in a dry frying pan on a medium heat until light golden and crispy.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make the cannelloni tubes, roll out the pasta dough into 1⁄16-inch-thick sheets, then cut them into 4-inch squares. Dot 1 heaping tablespoon of Winter ragù across the middle of each square, then roll each one up into a tube. Repeat until you’ve used up all the pasta and ragù.
To build the cannelloni, cover the base of a 12- × 10-inch baking dish with a layer of white sauce, then arrange the filled pasta tubes on top in two layers. Cover with the remaining sauce and scatter the crispy turkey skin and chestnut pangrattato over the top. Bake at the bottom of the oven for around 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling, then serve. Great with a simple salad on the side.
LASAGNE
FENNEL, CAVOLO NERO, & MOZZARELLA SAUCE, WINTER RAGÙ
A vivid bright green sauce made from cavolo nero and fennel is my gorgeous twist on a traditional lasagne. I like to make it with fresh pasta so you can layer the sheets up the sides, creating more of a lasagne parcel, which looks incredible.
SERVES 8
2 HOURS 30 MINUTES
PLUS RESTING
1 × Royal pasta dough (see here)
1 × Winter ragù (see here)
1 onion
1 bulb of fennel
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 fresh bay leaf
1 pinch of ground cloves
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
7 oz cavolo nero
1¾ oz Parmesan cheese
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
olive oil
1 × 4½-oz ball of mozzarella cheese
1¾ oz mascarpone cheese
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
extra virgin olive oil
Make your Royal pasta dough (see here) and Winter ragù (see here).
For the green sauce, peel and finely slice the onion, then trim and finely slice the fennel. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the onion, fennel, and bay leaf and cook for 25 minutes, or until the veg are soft and lightly golden, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water, if needed. Stir in the cloves and flour, then, splash-by-splash, stir in the milk. Strip the cavolo nero leaves off the stalks, then roughly chop the leaves and stir them into the pan. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, then pour the whole lot into a blende
r, discarding the bay leaf. Finely grate in most of the Parmesan and blitz until smooth. Taste, and season to perfection with sea salt, black pepper, and a fine grating of nutmeg.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To build your lasagne, start by rolling out the pasta dough into thin sheets. Cover the base of a lightly oiled baking dish (12 × 10 inches) with a single layer of pasta, leaving a decent overhang. Spoon in a layer of Winter ragù, top with pasta and a layer of green sauce, randomly interspersing the layers with little bombs of mozzarella and mascarpone. Repeat twice more, folding in the overhanging pasta to create the top, then finish with a final layer of green sauce and any leftover mozzarella and mascarpone. Finely grate over the remaining Parmesan, then lightly dress the thyme sprigs with extra virgin olive oil and scatter over the top. Bake at the bottom of the oven for around 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve, making sure everyone gets some of that incredible crispy edge. Yum.
BUBBLE & SQUEAK
THE ULTIMATE LEFTOVER VEG FLAVOR PARTY
I’ve always liked making this, since I was a kid. We’d have the pan going for well over an hour, slowly turning those precious leftovers into an incredible pile of gnarly, starchy, veggie gorgeousness. Good bubble & squeak is hard to beat.
SERVES 4
30 MINUTES
olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 sprigs of fresh woody herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme
1¼ lbs leftover roast potatoes
1¼ lbs leftover cooked veg, such as carrots, rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, kale
optional: leftover vac-packed chestnuts
Put an 11-inch non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter (or, even better, any leftover dripping you have in the fridge). Pick in the fresh herb leaves and let them crisp up for a minute, then add the potatoes, veg, and any leftover chestnuts you’ve got. There’s no need to chop anything first, as now we’re going to mash it all up with a potato masher into a nice, flat, even layer. Season well with sea salt and black pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until a lovely golden crust starts forming on the bottom.
Now we get into the rhythm of the secret to good bubble & squeak. Use a slotted spatula to fold those lovely crispy bits back into the mash, then pat and flatten everything down again. Let it crisp up again, then repeat the process, and—importantly—keep repeating it over a period of about 20 minutes, until it’s golden, super-crispy, and delicious. About halfway through, nick a bit, taste it, and correct the seasoning if you need to. When it’s looking good, you can serve it right away, or you can leave it on the lowest heat for a while—the flavor will only improve.
You can serve this any which way you like—let’s be honest, it’s going to be amazing whatever you have it with. I like mine with fried eggs, a little lemon-dressed watercress, and a few bombs of Piccalilli (see here). Slices of leftover Jerk ham (see here) are always going to go down a treat, too.
CHILI CON CARNE
PULLED TURKEY, SWEET PEPPERS, & POPPED BUTTER BEANS
There’s nothing easier and more sociable than a good, hearty pot of chili to feed your friends or family. Celebrating a whole rainbow of veggies, and making brilliant use of those lovely turkey leftovers, this version is sure to please.
SERVES 8
2 HOURS 20 MINUTES
1 butternut squash (2½ lbs)
olive oil
2 heaping teaspoons ground cumin
2 heaping teaspoons smoked paprika
2 red onions
2 carrots
2 mixed-color peppers
1 bunch of fresh cilantro (1 oz)
2 cloves of garlic
2 fresh red chiles
1 tablespoon liquid honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chipotle Tabasco sauce
1 lb leftover cooked turkey meat
2 × 14-oz cans of plum tomatoes
1 × 15-oz can of butter beans
2 limes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the squash, carefully cut it in half lengthways and remove the seeds, then chop into chunky wedges. Place in a roasting pan, drizzle lightly with oil, sprinkle over 1 heaping teaspoon each of cumin and paprika, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, then remove. Meanwhile, peel the onions and carrots, seed the peppers, then roughly chop and place in a large ovenproof casserole pan on a medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Pick the cilantro leaves into a bowl of cold water for later. Peel the garlic and finely chop with the cilantro stalks and chiles, then stir into the pan with the remaining cumin and paprika. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally.
Stir the honey, Worcestershire, and Tabasco into the pan for 2 minutes, then tear in the turkey meat and cook for 5 minutes, or until sticky and gnarly, adding any leftover juices or gravy, if you’ve got them. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, then stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, as well as 2 cans’ worth of water. Transfer the pan to the oven to cook for 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring halfway through and loosening with a splash of water, if needed.
Meanwhile, drain the butter beans and quickly pat dry with paper towel, then toast for a few minutes in a non-stick frying pan on a high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, until crisp, gnarly, and bursting open. Season well and put to one side.
When the time’s up, take the squash pan and the pan of chili out of the oven. Stir the beans into the chili and tear in the squash, loosening the chili with splashes of boiling water, if needed. Taste, season to perfection with salt, pepper, and squeezes of lime juice, then stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Serve with steamed rice, jacket potatoes or tortillas, yogurt, guacamole, hot chili sauce, and a simple salad. Scatter over the remaining cilantro leaves and some extra finely sliced fresh chile, if you fancy, then tuck in.
TURKEY SLOPPY JOES
TASTY SLAW WITH GHERKINS & CHILE, HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE
The sloppy Joe is so much more than a sandwich or a burger, and giving it the Christmas treatment means we’re taking that bun filled with delicious pulled meat and exciting crunchy veg, served with gravy for dunking, to the next level.
SERVES 4
20 MINUTES
7 oz leftover cooked turkey meat
1 cup leftover turkey gravy
1 carrot
1 apple
½ a red onion
2 sprigs of fresh mint
2 gherkins
1 fresh red chile
4 whole-grain buns with seeds
BBQ SAUCE
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon HP sauce
1 teaspoon English mustard
½ teaspoon chipotle Tabasco sauce
1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
Shred and pull apart your leftover turkey meat and place in a small pan with a splash of water and ¼ cup of gravy. Pop a lid on and place on the lowest heat for 10 minutes to warm through. Warm the rest of the gravy in a separate pan on a low heat, ready to use it for dunking later.
Meanwhile, peel and finely shred the carrot, matchstick the apple, peel and finely slice the red onion, and pick and slice the mint leaves. Place it all in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of pickling liquor from your gherkin jar. Finely slice the gherkins, using a crinkle-cut knife if you’ve got one, and the chile, add to the bowl, mix well, lightly season, and put aside. Mix all the BBQ sauce ingredients together.
Split and toast your buns, then spread the BBQ sauce inside them, top and bottom. Pile your pulled turkey on the bun bases, drizzle with a little gravy, and top with some of that tasty slaw. Pop the bun lids on, and you’re away. Serve the rest of the gravy on the side for a naughty dunk, along with any leftover slaw.
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DOUBLE UP
This is a great recipe for parties, as it’s quick, and it’s easy to double or even quadruple the quantities—let your guest
s build their own buns.
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PEA SOUP
ROASTED HAM, STILTON, HONEY, & APPLE TOASTS
This spectacular soup brings a bit of optimism into wintertime. Heroing delicious roasted ham and cheeseboard leftovers, it also celebrates humble frozen peas, showing how easy it is to draw on your freezer for awesome meals.
SERVES 6
40 MINUTES
SOUP
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 leek
2 stalks of celery
olive oil
6 cups frozen peas
7 cups chicken or veg stock
6 sprigs of fresh mint
extra virgin olive oil
optional: plain yogurt or crème fraîche
TOASTS
6 slices of whole-grain bread with seeds
5½ oz leftover cooked smoked or Jerk ham (see here)
1 crunchy eating apple
1¾ oz Stilton cheese
¾ oz mature Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon liquid honey
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the onion and garlic, then wash the leek and trim with the celery. Roughly chop it all and place in a large pan on a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened but not colored, stirring occasionally. Stir in the frozen peas, then pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, lay out your bread slices side-by-side on a large roasting pan. Shred the ham into a bowl, matchstick and add the apple, crumble in the Stilton, and mix together, then divide between the bread slices. Finely grate over the Cheddar, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and the honey, pick and lightly oil the rosemary leaves and sprinkle them over the top. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden, then place one piece of loaded toast in each of your warm soup bowls.