Boxing Day is when the real cooking creativity happens. Christmas dinner is all pomp and tradition; the days after are where chefs get playful. We asked London’s finest what they actually do with the fridge full of leftovers, and the answers range from genius (panettone croutons with sage butter) to properly comforting (turkey paratha). There’s a bread sauce pudding that sounds magnificently peculiar, turkey croquettes for using up the bits nobody wanted on the day, and a tarragon-heavy salad that’ll make you feel slightly less terrible about everything you’ve consumed. These aren’t dutiful recipes for using up scraps—they’re things worth looking forward to, which is the whole point of leftovers done right.
‘Forget turkey curry — turn the bird into croquettes’
Filippo La Gattuta, Big Mamma Group
An incredible way of using your Christmas leftovers is by making turkey croquettes. All you have to do is chop up your turkey and add cheese and herbs of your choice. Roll them into polpette (balls), bread them and fry. Or for a classic simple and easy canape — which has the handy benefit of using up old parmigiano — chop up the rind into chunks, then microwave it till it puffs up and is crunchy. This becomes a delicious, cheesy and salty snack.
‘Turn your sweet panettone into croutons — just add garlic and cheese’
There’s always so much panettone gifted at Christmas, so use it in an unexpected savoury way. Cut or tear the panettone into bite size pieces; melt butter and infuse with chopped sage and garlic before pouring over the panettone pieces on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle over black pepper and finely grated parmesan and bake at 200°C until crisp and golden. Run the croutons through salads, roasted vegetables or Brussels sprouts — they bring a sweet, festive and delightfully unexpected flavour to the Christmas table.
‘Leftover bread sauce? Turn it into a bread pudding’
Richard Corrigan, The Corrigan Collection
With any leftover bread sauce, I like to make a savoury bread pudding. Take about half a pint of bread sauce, add two eggs and mix well. Pour the mixture into a terrine mould or loaf tin and bake it slowly in the oven. Chill and serve sliced, topped with turkey breast or cold ham.
Richard Corrigan in the kitchen
Press handout
‘Turkey paratha is a dish to impress guests’
Got guests on Boxing Day? I recommend making a stuffed leftover turkey paratha. Firstly, chop your turkey, and mix any leftover vegetables with some spices (red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, and cumin powder), plus a little green chilli for heat and coriander for freshness. If you love cheese, add cheese. Combine everything and stuff it into a wholewheat dough (made with wholewheat flour, salt, and water). Roll the dough out and cook both sides on a griddle. Spread some butter. When it’s lovely and crispy and golden, you’re ready to eat. You could also use the same mix to stuff into naan bread, or to make a deliciously Christmassy toastie.
‘Stuffed from yesterday? Take it easy with this Boxing Day salad’
This light and refreshing salad makes for the perfect lunch post-Christmas and should use up a few leftovers. Start by making a dressing: blend a generous handful of fresh tarragon leaves with three tablespoons of Dijon mustard, one tablespoon of sherry vinegar and the juice of one lemon until smooth. Gradually pour in 180ml of olive oil, then season with a pinch of salt and sugar, blending again and adjusting to taste. For the salad, separate two heads of chicory into leaves, thinly slice two celery sticks, and peel and slice one clementine. Toss with the tarragon dressing, then top with a handful of roasted chestnuts.
