Happy crispness
Gurdeep Loyal sets out to turn Christmas leftovers into crispy, golden pastries
“DON’T THINK OF LEFTOVERS AS ‘EXTRA FOOD’ THAT NEEDS USING UP, BUT AS ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS IN THEMSELVES”
Words: Gurdeep Loyal / Image: Stuart Ovenden
The season of festive plenty is also the season of plentiful leftovers – which with daunting speed can fill up the fridge and freezer quicker than you can open the windows 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 complete dishes.
Leftover cheese
The festive cheeseboard has the potential to be transformed into countless different delectations. My favourite is Christmas pasties, which have the added benefit of using up any leftover chutney, quince jelly or other condiments. I made mine with Sparkenhoe from Neal’s Yard Dairy – a raw cow’s milk cheese, it has a rich nutty taste and melts wonderfully – and a traditional sharp clothbound Pitchfork cheddar made in Hewish, north Somerset by Trethowan Brothers. You can also add in leftover soft cheeses, such as The French Comte’s creamy brie and buttery Domaine de St Loup Normandy camembert. These pasties really do work with any festive cheese accompaniment you might have, such as Northfield Farm’s banquet of Tracklements chutneys, all of which are fantastic, or Pimento Hill’s Festive Chutney, bursting with cranberries, plums, spices and port. Adding a splash of tangy vinegar to the filling amplifies all the flavours to a new level. I love the Biologico Malpighi balsamic from The Olive Oil Co: tart, vibrant and well balanced. Melted together in crumbly, oven-warm pastry, it all amounts to a festive hug on a plate.
Festive cheese & chutney pasties
Leftover bread sauce
Leftover bread sauce is among the first things to be devoured at my Christmas table, but in the unlikely event that you do have any spare, it’s wonderful added to the savoury custard filling of a quiche. 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 sweet, fresh-tasting Galician roast ham. You always want a strong robust cheese with any homemade quiches. The toasty, tangy Oude Beemster gouda from Borough Cheese Company is ideal for this, or for something a little different try their Olde Remeker, a paler, intensely creamy cheese aged for 13 months. Alternatively, head to Une Normande à Londres for a sharp, fruity gruyère or nutty Jura comté 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.
Smoked ham, gouda & bread sauce quiche
Leftover veg
A filo pie filled with leftover vegetables makes the perfect centrepiece for any vegan guests over the festive period. This recipe has a shattering, crackling pastry exterior, and rich savoury veg-packed filling. Brindisa’s cooked sweet chestnuts are perfect here – grown in Galicia, Spain’s mecca for chestnuts, they have a sweet, intensely nutty flavour and rich, buttery texture. Alternatively, try the roasted Kentish cobnuts from Food & Forest, with their grassy, hazelnutty bite. For something a little more unexpected, you could even add a pinch of lavender from Le Marché du Quartier, some finely grated lemongrass from Raya or even a sprinkle of za’atar from Arabica to the mix.
Parsnip, chestnut, sprout & sage filo pie
