Michael Caines’ 3 Ideas For Using Up Christmas Leftovers

Fridge piled high with plates of leftovers? Don’t chuck them out: there are so many ways to transform sad plates of turkey and veggies into delicious day two feasts. And who better to guide us than renowned chef Michael Caines? Here the Lympstone Manor chef shares three of his favourite Christmas leftovers recipes to make over the festive season.

Christmas Leftovers Recipes: 3 Ideas From Michael Caines

Curried Root Vegetable Soup

This is a great way to make use of leftover vegetables. 

1. First make a stock from an onion, a few carrots, a stick or two of celery and the turkey carcass. Let simmer for an hour or two until the stock is rich and flavourful.
2. For the soup, sauté a chopped onion and garlic, add a good tablespoon of Madras curry powder and some powdered cumin to taste then add the chopped root vegetables, whatever you have left over: swedes, parsnips, pumpkin or squash, turnip, carrots. 
3. If you don’t have enough, simply dice up a few more of whatever is at hand, then top up with sufficient turkey stock. 
4. Cook until all the vegetables are soft, then purée with a stick blender. 
5. To finish, add a nice dollop of crème fraîche. 

Butternut Squash and Turkey Risotto

After the excesses of the Christmas meal, this is a deliciously simple one-dish meal: a risotto made in the classic way using leftover turkey and turkey stock. 

1. Dice the leftover turkey meat into small cubes. Dice a small butternut squash. Chop a small onion. 
2. Sauté the onion in a little butter and extra-virgin olive oil, then add the rice (arborio is fine; carnaroli is even better). 
3. Toast the rice until it is hot, then add a glass of dry white wine and, if you have some, a good pinch of saffron. 
4. Add the diced squash, then begin to add the stock a ladle at a time as the rice absorbs the stock, stirring vigorously from time to time to help break down the starch. 
5. Cooking time will depend on the variety of rice, probably between 14-18 minutes. Add the diced turkey five minutes before the rice is done to ensure it doesn’t dry out – making sure to keep it ‘al dente’. 
6. Remove from the heat when the rice is cooked – not chalky but still firm – then vigorously beat in grated parmesan and a good spoonful of mascarpone. Serve at once with a fresh grating of parmesan on top.

Bubble and Squeak

Who doesn’t love a good old bubble and squeak? Served with a poached or fried egg on top, it makes a good simple supper. Whenever we had roasts in my family, mother would always make bubble and squeak from the leftovers the next day. With an excess of Christmas spuds and vegetables it makes sense to do the same at this time of year. 

1. You can use either leftover mashed or roast potatoes. You’ll need about twice the quantity of potatoes to veg to make a good bubble and squeak that holds together, so cook another potato or two if need be. 
2. Then just sweat a chopped onion in plenty of butter with some chopped herbs; sage and marjoram then add your chopped vegetables and sweat for one minute, mix well with the potatoes and whatever you have – cabbage, carrots, squash, parsnips. 
3. Shape into balls, roll in flour and pat down to create a burger shape, then shallow fry until heated through, brown and crispy. 
4. Serve with a poached or a fried egg on top.

Michael Caines is currently chef owner of lympstonemanor.co.uk