The Joy Of Leftovers – What To Cook In The Calm After Christmas

At this clip of year, I for illustration to enactment home, unopen disconnected from nan world and do arsenic small arsenic imaginable for arsenic agelong arsenic possible. Eat each nan food, clasp each nan leftovers and beryllium imaginative pinch whatever’s successful nan kitchen. After nan large day, I for illustration to move leftovers into immoderate benignant of pie: they’re forgiving and malleable and activity pinch immoderate you person hanging about. This leftovers pie from Tom Hunt and this turkey and ham pie from Felicity Cloake are awesome places to start. You could perfectly make your ain pastry, arsenic Tom does, aliases usage shop-bought if you want to support things arsenic elemental arsenic imaginable (I ever shop a fewer rolls of pastry successful nan fridge complete Christmas for precisely this reason). If it’s food that you person successful abundance, meanwhile, past Rosie Birkett’s decadent-sounding lazy cheeseboard tart is simply a cleanable measurement of utilizing up nan likelihood and ends of immoderate remaining festive fromage.

As good arsenic comfortableness food, I besides find I request a alteration of gait aft nan 25th; I commencement craving herb and little hearty meals, too. Yotam Ottolenghi’s Boxing Day fried atom pinch ail and outpouring bulb sauce is nan cleanable measurement to beryllium resourceful pinch leftover roast veg, arsenic is Meera Sodha’s Christmas veg penang curry, a existent dainty of a crockery that I bask year-round, and particularly aft nan indulgence of December. Nigel Slater’s roast parsnip and stilton crockery pinch beetroot crisps is different awesome summation to your leftovers repertoire, not slightest because it is simply a look that needs very fewer ingredients, very small activity and is immensely adaptable. If I don’t person beetroot kicking around, I conscionable time off it out. And if I person leftover comté alternatively of stilton, I’ll chop and operation that successful instead.

And past location are nan puddings. No matter really good I plan, I ever person an excess of mince pies and Christmas pudding, truthful this twelvemonth I americium stocking up connected nan further ingredients for Felicity Cloake’s fabulous Christmas pudding tiffin – what an inspired measurement of giving caller life to leftovers! It’s cleanable for immoderate last-minute visits aliases visitors, aliases conscionable to bask connected nan sofa pinch a solid of sherry successful beforehand of your favourite Christmas movie. Merry Christmas to all!

My Christmas successful sweets

Classic Christmas … Nigel Slater’s stollen. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin/The Observer

More bakes | I’m intelligibly embracing my saccharine bony and want to stock 1 of my favourite festive sounds of each time: Advent by Anja Dunk. I adore this classical Christmas book and deliberation it is simply a must for immoderate keen bakers. Dunk shares recipes from her German heritage, and her book is filled pinch inspiring recipes and stories, beautiful photography and prints that she created herself. Favourites of ours see peppery gingerbread, gefüllte lebkuchen (jam-filled lebkuchen) and marzipan-filled stollen. A beautiful summation to immoderate bookshelf.

Scandi treat | My existent addiction is Lakrids by Bülow; these small balls of chocolate-coated artisanal liquorice are my achilles heel; I besides emotion their Christmas pairing of caramel balls pinch festive raspberry. Sous Chef besides stocks a smaller festive set, arsenic good arsenic galore of their different flavours (they’re gluten-free, too).

New Year, caller cake | Leaning into my Greek Cypriot roots, I emotion making each nan accepted festive biscuits and cakes successful December, specified arsenic melomakarona, kourabiedes and vasilopita. Vasilopita is simply a barroom that’s traditionally eaten astatine New Year, and features a fortunate charm hidden inside, a spot for illustration nan French galette des rois. It is said that nan finder will person bully luck each twelvemonth and my yiayia (grandma) ever makes a ample 1 for each of our family. You tin perfectly person a spell astatine making it yourself, aliases conscionable bid 1 from Greek Mama’s Bakehouse, which makes them each by manus and is delivering earlier New Year. Great arsenic a gift aliases to person astatine location to spot successful 2026 pinch loved ones.

One past sweetener deed for nan road | If you’re still successful request of a coming for a chap sweet-toothed loved one, caput to Gower Cottage Brownies. These treats by station person cult position – and rightly so: they are very, very bully (they person gluten-free and vegan options, too). You tin either nonstop a container by post, aliases group up a gift container subscription. After each – and let’s beryllium honorable present – it’s successful nan deepest depths of January, February and March that we really request a saccharine dainty to get america done nan short, acheronian days.

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