Matt Preston’s Christmas 2023 leftover recipes

The Turkey

The Christmas curse is that people who order a turkey lunch always get a bird that is too large. It’s a double whammy – the leftovers are not only a waste, but the meat tends to dry out. Use your leftover roast meat with something creamy, like avocado or white sauce. Or shred it and crisp it, making the most of its dryness.

You can also use cubed turkey in a white sauce along with mushrooms and thyme for vol-au-vents.

Due to the high temperatures in the summer, you can disguise the turkey with a Waldorf Salad that includes diced celery and grapes, walnuts, blue cheese, and sour-cream vinegar dressing. Avocado and mango are also good for you, especially when used in salads with a sharp lime and chili dressing.

The most interesting way to use leftover turkey is to combine it with a green sauce. The Mexican sauce is prepared by toasting pepitas and almonds and then blitzing the contents of the pan with deveined green capsicums, celery, diced onions, and garlic. Add sliced lettuce to the sauce, along with lime juice, stock, and some drained green tomatoes, if available. Salt, cumin, and extra lime are good seasonings. Then, microwave the turkey-pulled meat with a bit of oil. Grate over the smoked cheese and pour on as much sauce as needed. Serve with soft tacos, rice, or refried beans.

Use the turkey instead in a quesadilla filled with corn, coriander, and lots of cheese melting. You can also fry the turkey strips with onion and capsicum, then add cumin, paprika, and other spices like garlic, chili powder, and lime zest. This method of crisping the turkey is also great for topping ramen or stuffing it into a Bahn mi.

THE HAM

The Christmas ham can be used in a variety of ways. You can use ham cubes to replace bacon when making a carbonara or mix ham with maple syrup and baked beans to make a delicious filling for toasties.

Fill an empanada or hand pie with ham, corn, spring onions, and grated cheddar. You can eat them straight out of the oven or reheat them for a quick lunch.

As there are usually a lot of children around, I like to dice the ham into small pieces and put it in a potato cake. Place your grated potato in a strainer and squeeze out any excess liquid. Add the chopped ham and onion to the bowl. Also, add the chopped parsley and as much cayenne as your kids can handle. Covered, pan fry on low heat until done. To crisp up the top, flip the food or drizzle with oil before popping it under the grill.

The Roast Potatoes

You can use leftover potatoes to make a curry, or you can turn them into a hash using leftover Brussels sprouts. Serve with fried egg and ham or cubes of fried chorizo.

Try making a Spanish omelet instead – it’s a more sophisticated version of the predictable Christmas frittata. In a nonstick pan, fry thinly sliced red capsicum and onion to soften. Add smoked paprika and roasted potato slices. Pour lightly whisked egg over the mixture and cook at low heat, then finish under the grill. This will make a Spanish Tortilla. Serve hot, warm, or chilled with a crisp green salad.

LEFTOVER PEAN

Leftover peas, after eating the last of the Christmas gravy, can be made into a salad by adding spring onions, ricotta, and fresh mint. Add them to the turkey vol-au vent filling if you don’t have enough for a salad. If you’ve got too many, blend them up with heated chicken stock and fried leek for a peas soup. You can make this dish even more delicious by adding some mint leaves or crumbled bacon.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Even if nobody else wants to eat it, I insist that Christmas Pudding be eaten the next day. I think it tastes better. You can fry the leftover Christmas Pudding until it starts to get chewy and the edges begin to catch. Make a scratch sauce by removing the pan and deglazing it with sweet sherry or brandy. Pour the sauce over the vanilla ice cream and pudding cubes. Extreme Christmas delight!

My favorite Christmas recipe – if that’s what you want to call it – is butter-frying slabs of Christmas Pudding and serving it with the ooziest brie or blue cheese or even crumbled Parmesan. You can use any leftover cheese from your Christmas cheeseboard.