by Jamie Oliver
Pick the mint leaves into the soup, then blitz it with an immersion blender or tip into a blender until super-smooth, adding a splash of water, if needed, to get it to the consistency of your liking. Have a taste, and season to perfection. Ladle the soup into your bowls around the toasts, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, and serve with a dollop of yogurt or crème fraîche, if you fancy.
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GET AHEAD
Make the soup in advance, and simply reheat it when needed, even getting your bread topped and ready to toast ahead of time, too.
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TURKEY STEW
SWEET LEEK & SMOKY BACON BISCUIT DUMPLINGS
This is a super-easy, old-school dish that uses leftover turkey or chicken in a brilliant way. As a kid I made it with dumplings, but when I was in the USA they would top stews with these lovely biscuits, so this is my hybrid of the two.
SERVES 6
1 HOUR
PLUS COOLING
DUMPLINGS
2 rashers of smoked bacon
2 small leeks
olive oil
heaping ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons maize flour or polenta
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
½ cup buttermilk
1 large egg
STEW
3 onions
3 stalks of celery
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 fresh bay leaves
2 teaspoons English mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups veg stock
5 oz leftover stuffing
1 lb leftover cooked turkey or chicken meat
To start the dumplings, roughly chop the bacon and place in a large frying pan on a medium-low heat to crisp up while you wash, trim, and finely slice the leeks. Stir them into the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, then cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and sweet, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, for the stew, peel the onions, trim the celery, then roughly chop both and place in a large, wide casserole pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil (or even better, use turkey dripping to intensify the flavors). Add the herb sprigs and bay, and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft but not colored, stirring regularly. Stir in the mustard and flour for 2 minutes, then gradually stir in the stock to make a nice thick sauce. Crumble in the leftover stuffing and turn the heat off. Scoop out and discard the herb sprigs and bay leaves, then shred the turkey or chicken meat, stir it into your stew, taste, and season to perfection.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the flours, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Dice and add the butter, then use your thumbs and forefingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Make a well in the middle, pour in the buttermilk, then gradually mix into the crumbs, bringing them in from the outside. Stir in the cooled leeks and bacon until just combined, but don’t overwork it—we want the dough as light as possible. Gently roll it out on a clean flour-dusted surface until ¾ inch thick, then use a 2-inch fluted cutter to stamp out as many round dumplings as you can, rerolling and using up any offcuts—you should get at least 12 from this amount.
Brush the dumplings with beaten egg, then sit them on top of the stew. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the dumplings are risen and golden and the stew is blipping and bubbling away nicely. Delicious with simple steamed greens.
TURKEY CHOWDER
SWEETCORN, SWEET POTATOES, CRISPY SMOKED BACON, & MATZO CRACKERS
There’s always turkey or chicken leftovers come Chrimbo, and a good chowder is a very comforting way to use them up. Also bigging up handy frozen corn and lovely sweet potatoes, this is guaranteed to be a satisfying, hearty bowlful.
SERVES 6–8
1 HOUR 25 MINUTES
1 leftover turkey carcass, plus up to 10 oz leftover cooked turkey meat
2 onions
2 carrots
2 large sweet potatoes (12 oz)
½ a bunch of fresh Italian parsley (½ oz)
8 rashers of smoked bacon
optional: turkey dripping
3 cups frozen sweetcorn
6 tablespoons heavy cream
cayenne pepper
1 handful of matzo or cream crackers
Start by getting a stock on the go. Strip all the meat you can find off the turkey carcass, shred, and put aside. Fill your largest pan with the bones, smashing them with a rolling pin to help get them in. Cover with 12 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour, skimming away any scum from the surface.
With 30 minutes to go, peel the onions, carrots, and sweet potatoes and cut into ½-inch dice. Finely slice the parsley stalks, then the bacon (any leftover cooked turkey skin will be delicious here, too). Fry the bacon and any turkey skin in a large pan on a medium-low heat with a little turkey dripping, if you’ve got it, until golden and crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and put aside, leaving the pan on the heat. Add the onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and parsley stalks to the pan and cook for around 25 minutes, or until soft, stirring regularly.
Carefully pour the stock through a sieve into the veg pan. Add the frozen corn and shredded turkey meat, then simmer for 15 minutes. You can leave the soup coarse and chunky, or you can use an immersion blender to whiz up about a quarter of the soup until smooth, then stir it back through, leaving the rest fairly chunky to create a nice range of textures. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, then taste and season to perfection with sea salt and cayenne. Crumble over the crispy bacon and the crackers, add a sprinkling of parsley leaves, and serve.
BÁNH MÌ
CRISPY SESAME TURKEY, SILKY PTÉ, & PICKLED VEG BAGUETTES
I’ve given this French Vietnamese classic a festive spank with traditional Christmas flavors. It’s a joy to eat, fantastic for using up those turkey leftovers, and creates a wonderful epic sarnie that everyone will just love tucking into!
SERVES 8
30 MINUTES
olive oil
14 oz leftover cooked turkey meat
optional: leftover cooked turkey skin
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chili jam
2 French baguettes
10 oz leftover Silky pâté (see here) or quality store-bought chicken liver pâté
½ a bunch of fresh cilantro (½ oz)
QUICK PICKLED VEG
1 small red onion
2 carrots
1½-inch piece of fresh gingerroot
¼ of a white cabbage (8 oz)
½ an English cucumber
1 tablespoon liquid honey
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
For the pickled veg, peel the red onion, carrots, and ginger, click off any tatty outer leaves from the cabbage, halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape away the watery core. Using the finest blade on your food processor or a mandolin (use the guard!), finely slice the onion, then place in a large bowl. Finely slice and add the cabbage and cucumber. Switch to a julienne or fine grating cutter and shred the carrots and ginger, scattering them into the bowl as you go. Add the honey, vinegar, and a good pinch of sea salt, and scrunch well to lightly pickle the veg.
Place a large pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Shred and add the turkey (the brown meat is best in this dish), plus any bits of crispy skin you’ve got left over. Toss for a couple of minutes until lightly golden, then add most of the sesame seeds for 1 minute, followed by the chili jam. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until gnarly, sticky, and glazed, tossing regularly.
Meanwhile, warm your baguettes through in a low oven, then halve them lengthways and spread the pâté inside. Spoon in the crispy turkey, then squeeze out any excess liquid from the pickled veg and pile into the baguettes. Sprinkle over the remaining sesame seeds, pick over some cilantro leaves, pop on the tops of the baguett
es, press together, slice, and serve. Good served with extra chili jam, hot chili sauce, or a bit of hoisin sauce, for dunking.
Spectacular festive
DESSERTS
CHRISTMAS PUDDING
DRIED FRUIT, PECANS, GINGER, ROSEMARY, BOURBON, & GOLDEN SYRUP
This is based on my dear Nan’s beautiful pudding recipe, which gives you a much lighter result than a traditional Christmas pud. It has more dynamic flavors, and is super-easy to make—this is exactly the way I like it best. Enjoy!
SERVES 8
4 HOURS 30 MINUTES
unsalted butter, for greasing
5 oz Medjool dates
5 oz dried apricots
5 oz pecan nuts
2½ oz crystallized ginger
1 small sprig of fresh rosemary
5 oz unsweetened dried cranberries
5 oz raisins
5 oz suet
1 cup all-purpose flour
heaping ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
¾ cup + 5 teaspoons reduced-fat (2%) milk
1 large egg
1 clementine
golden syrup
barrel-aged Bourbon
Grease a 6-cup pudding bowl with butter. Pit your dates, then, by hand or in a food processor, finely chop the flesh with the apricots, pecans, ginger, and rosemary leaves. Place it all in a mixing bowl with the cranberries, raisins, suet, flour, bread crumbs, and milk. Crack in the egg, finely grate in the clementine zest, squeeze in the juice, and mix it all together really well.
Tip the mixture into the greased bowl and cover with a single layer of parchment paper and a double layer of aluminum foil. Tie a piece of string around the bowl to secure them in place and make it watertight, then sit it in a large, deep saucepan and pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce to a simmer for 4 hours. Check the water regularly, and keep topping it up with boiling water, if needed.
When the time’s up, lift out the bowl, remove the foil and paper, then carefully turn the pudding out onto a plate ready to serve, or leave to cool and reheat just before you need it. You can either drizzle it with golden syrup and a swig of Bourbon—gorgeous—or be a bit more flamboyant and gently heat a good few swigs of Bourbon just to warm it, then strike a match to the pan (stand back!), let it flame, and carefully pour it over your pudding. Present it to your guests and sing some Christmassy songs, then when the flame subsides drizzle with golden syrup. Serve with cream, custard, or even ice cream.
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LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Cold leftovers are delicious with a slice of British cheese, such as Lancashire, or in a Christmas sundae (see here).
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RETRO TRIFLE
MY MUM’S ULTIMATE PARTY PUD
Mum first enjoyed trifle like this as a postwar treat, hence the use of pantry ingredients. Of course, if you can make your own jelly and blancmange rather than using packaged versions, that’s always going to up the quality of your pud.
SERVES 20
30 MINUTES
PLUS SETTING STAGES
10 trifle sponges or 1 large Swiss roll
1¼ lbs ripe strawberries
6 tablespoons Cointreau
3-oz (85g) package of strawberry jelly powder
2½ cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1-oz (35g) package of strawberry blancmange
1 × 16-oz can of mandarin segments, in juice
3-oz (85g) package of orange jelly powder
2 cups + 6 tablespoons Bird’s custard
2 cups + 6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 orange
quality dark chocolate (70%)
Use the sponges to line the base of a large glass bowl, slicing the Swiss roll first (if using). Hull, slice, and layer in two-thirds of the strawberries, then drizzle over the Cointreau. Tear the strawberry jelly package into a pitcher and cover with 1¼ cups of boiling kettle water. Stir until dissolved, then top up with 1¼ cups of cold water. Pour the jelly into the bowl over the strawberries, and pop into the fridge to set.
Pour a little milk into a bowl with the sugar and the blancmange and stir to dissolve. Bring the remaining milk just up to a boil, then whisk in the blancmange mixture, continuing to whisk as you bring it back up to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool, whisking occasionally, then pour the blancmange over the set red jelly and return to the fridge so it can set.
Drain the mandarin segments well (reserving the juice), and arrange nicely over the set blancmange. Make the orange jelly, following the instructions above (using the mandarin juice in place of some of the cold water), leave the mix to cool a bit, then pour over the mandarin layer and, again, pop into the fridge to set.
Pour over the custard, then pop it back into the fridge so that can set, too. Whip the heavy cream into soft peaks, then spread it over the set custard. Slice and arrange the remaining strawberries on top, as delicately or randomly as you wish—it’s nice to take a bit of pride in this, like Mum has in the picture. Finely grate over the orange zest and a little chocolate, and enjoy!
CHOCOLATE POTS
CLEMENTINE SYRUP & CRÈME FRAÎCHE
Crispy on the top, but super-gooey in the middle, rich and an utterly mind-blowing chocolate experience, these pots are an honest and delicious expression of chocolate—they really celebrate the quality of the chocolate you choose.
SERVES 12
1 HOUR 10 MINUTES
PLUS COOLING
10 oz quality dark chocolate (70%)
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
300g superfine sugar
5 large eggs
SYRUP & TOPPING
8 clementines
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
12 teaspoons crème fraîche
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Snap the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and a pinch of sea salt, and place over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until thick and fluffy. Whisking constantly, pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs, until combined. Divide between 12 small ovenproof teacups or ramekins, then place them in a large, deep roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven, then carefully pour enough boiling kettle water into the pan to come halfway up the side of the cups. Bake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the cups from the pan and leave them to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, to make the syrup, squeeze all the clementine juice through a sieve into a small pan. Add the sugar and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes, or until starting to thicken and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
For maximum pleasure, enjoy the chocolate pots at room temperature—if they’re hot, they’ll be too runny, and if they even touch the fridge, they become too firm. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a drizzle of the syrup. Heaven.
PAVLOVA
RUBY POACHED PEARS, CHOCOLATE, MULLED WINE JELLY, & CREAM
A good pavlova like this is really easy for a dinner party, as you can make all the elements ahead and simply assemble it at the last minute, ready to wow your guests. Feel free to vary the toppings, but this is my favorite festive combo.
SERVES 10
3 HOURS
PLUS COOLING & SETTING
MERINGUE
4 large egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
PEARS & JELLY
1 bottle of fruity red wine
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ cup liquid honey
1 clementine
6 small just-ripe pears
6 sheets of gelatin
CREAM
¾ cup + 5 teaspoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
; ½ cup Greek yogurt
TOPPING
2 tablespoons blanched hazelnuts or pecan nuts
1¾ oz quality dark chocolate (70%)
1 clementine
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt in a free-standing electric mixer until they form stiff peaks, then, with the mixer still running, very gradually add the sugar. Turn to the highest setting and leave to mix for 8 minutes, or until the sugar has fully dissolved (rub a pinch of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger—if it feels smooth you’re good to go). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, dollop the mixture in the center, then spread it out into a circle 10 inches in diameter, using the back of the spoon to flick up peaks and make troughs. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave the meringue in there until the oven is cool, even overnight.
To poach your pears, pour the wine into a pan on a medium-low heat and add the allspice and honey. Finely grate in the clementine zest and squeeze in the juice. Bring up to a good simmer while you neatly peel the pears, using a vegetable peeler. Place the pears in the wine, cover with a damp piece of scrunched-up parchment paper, and simmer on a low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender, turning halfway. Gently remove them, then pour the wine into a jelly mold. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for a few minutes, then drain, squeeze out the excess liquid, and stir into the wine until dissolved. Cool, then set in the fridge.
To make a Chantilly-style cream, pour the cream into a bowl, add the vanilla bean paste and sugar, whisk by hand until it forms soft peaks, then fold in the yogurt. For the topping, toast the nuts in a pan on a medium heat until golden, then smash up in a pestle and mortar. Snap the chocolate and melt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy.
To assemble, gently dollop the cream over the meringue, then add spoonfuls of the jelly (you only need about half, so save the rest for another time, or serve alongside). Halve the pears, removing the cores, then slice into fans, leaving them attached at the top, and arrange delicately over the jelly. Finely grate over the clementine zest, scatter over the nuts, drizzle with melted chocolate, and serve.