Spotlight On: Clever Seasonal Leftovers | The Wolseley Hospitality Group Ltd

A festive feast provides the perfect excuse to make something hearty from the leftovers. Our Head Chef Jai Shaikh shares his tips for easy cooking over the holiday season.

‘There is no greater love than the love of food,’ says our Head Chef Jai Shaikh, who grew up surrounded by culinary influences, especially his mother’s improvised dishes. ‘It has the ability to satisfy, nurture and create happiness in a way that nothing else can.’ That mantra rings especially true during the seasonal holidays, when our desire for nourishing comfort food to combat the winter chill comes to the fore.

Fortunately, the possibility of Christmas leftovers means the option of rustling up easy dishes that have a satisfying ring of the holidays about them. And dare we say, if you plan it right, you can use up everything from vegetables to gravy, meaning more time to lounge at home in PJs (in between more glamorous lunches and suppers out with loved ones, of course).

‘This time of year can feel hectic, so I like to rustle up simple dishes during ‘Twixmas’ – those days between Christmas and New Year when no-one is quite sure what day of the week it is,’ says Jai. ‘With leftover roast vegetables, I make bubble & squeak patties, or a classic curry with turkey remnants. There’s also nothing better than turning leftover roast potatoes into a crispy hash to serve with fried eggs for a Boxing Day breakfast.’

Leftover sauces are often discarded, but those can be used up inventively too. Jai suggests using cranberry sauce as a glaze for gammon, or, for the sweet toothed, it can be stirred into Greek yogurt. And don’t pour away the gravy: instead add it to ice cube trays for future use.

Our Recipe

OUR RECIPE: ROAST POTATO AND VEGETABLE HASH

Ingredients

200 g leftover roast potatoes cut into chunks
100g leftover roast vegetables cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, diced
50g medium onion, diced
10g smoked paprika
Pinch of garlic powder
5g ground cumin
5g black pepper powder
5g sea salt
50ml cold water for mixing

Method

Dice the peppers and onion into evenly sized pieces to ensure even roasting. Place in a large bowl and add the cut potatoes and veg along with the peppers and onions.
Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and salt. Drizzle with water and toss to coat evenly. Spread the seasoned vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Avoid overcrowding for maximum crispiness.
Roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the potatoes are golden and crispy and the peppers and onions are tender. Serve with a hot dip or brown sauce of your choice.

Enjoy.