Recipes from Christmas with The Food Programme
This year we spent Christmas with cook, writer and restaurateur Thomasina Miers in her kitchen. She thinks some of the most delightful meals at Christmas are made with the leftovers. Here are some of the things she cooked
Chicory, apple & blue cheese salad
The crisp chicory provides a deliciously fresh note, with the sweet apple, creamy blue cheese and nutty crunch of hazelnut. Possibly the most delicious salad of all time and a perfect way to use up Christmas Stilton.
Serves 4
A apple, peeled and diced
3-4 heads of chicory, separated into leaves
A big handful of parsley leaves, very roughly chopped
50g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
80g blue cheese such at Stilton
For the dressing
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
1 small garlic, crushed
2 tbsp cider vinegar
120ml good olive oil
1 tsp honey
To make the dressing combine all of the ingredients together, season well with salt and pepper and set aside.
Put the apple in a bowl with the chicory, celery, parsley, hazelnuts and cheese. Season lightly, then toss with the dressing and serve immediately.
Devilled turkey salad
Possibly the most delicious thing you can ever hope to do with leftover turkey.
Feeds 4
150-200g sourdough bread, or other loaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated, optional
Extra virgin olive oil
300-400g leftover turkey
2-3 tsp mustard powder
½ tsp cayenne, optional
Juice of half a lemon
3 baby gem lettuces
For the pink, pickled onions
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced
30ml fresh lime juice
40ml fresh orange juice
Pre-heat the oven to 180C
Tear or slice the bread into crouton-size chunks and toss with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, half the garlic, cheese and plenty of salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden and crisp.
Cover the onions with the citrus juices in a non-reactive bowl, scrunching them into the citrus juices for 20-30 seconds. Refrigerate for at least half an hour to allow the onion to macerate in the juices.
Now shred the turkey. Stir into the mustard powder, cayenne, if using, the rest of the garlic and lemon and mix with a tablespoon of olive oil. Melt the butter in a hot frying pan and when sizzling, fry in the butter until browned with lots of crispy delicious bits. Toss with the baby gem leaves, topping with the croutons and pink onions and dress with vinaigrette.
Sprout & stilton quiche
Making home-made pastry is a cinch but definitely buy some if it persuades you to try this cheesy delight.
2 large onions, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil plus 30g butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
A few sprigs of thyme leaves
400g sprouts, halved
350ml double cream
1 egg, 3 egg yolks
200g leftover Stilton, crumbled or 100g mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
50g Parmesan, finely grated
¼ Nutmeg, finely grated
For the pastry
350g flour (I use 200g white spelt and 150g wholemeal Kamut but any plain flour will do)
½ tsp fine sea salt
150g cold, unsalted butter
70g lard
2-3 tbsp parmesan, optional
1 egg yolk plus an egg white lightly beaten with a fork
2-3 tbsp ice cold water
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. You will need a 22-24cm quiche dish.
First make the pastry. In a food processor briefly blitz the butter and lard into the flour, parmesan and salt for 5-10 seconds. Add the egg yolk and the white with 2 tbsp iced water and pulse blitz again briefly until the pastry just comes together. If the pastry still looks very crumbly add 1 more tbsp water. Empty out onto a floured work surface, roll into a ball, flatten into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Once rested roll out the pastry into a buttered pastry tin, allowing extra pastry for an overhang. Prick all over with a fork and stick in the freezer for 30-40 minutes to chill again.
Whilst the pastry rests you can steam the sprouts for 5 minutes until just tender. Meanwhile heat a pan and then sweat the onions and thyme in the fats for 10-12 minutes over a medium heat. When translucent add the garlic and sweat for another few minutes.
Stir the sprouts into the onions to coat well. In a large bowl whisk together the cream, eggs, nutmeg and cheddar or stilton, half the parmesan and season lightly.
Now cover the chilled pastry case with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans, brushing the base with the remainder of the egg white and return to oven for further 5-10 minutes or so until golden brown. Tip the sprouts and onions into the tart case, pour the cream mixture over and add a final flourish of nutmeg and parmesan. Bake at 160C for 25-30 minutes until puffed up, golden and just set.
