WE KNOW THAT there is always a lot of food waste around Christmas and people are often left wondering what to do with all the leftovers after the Christmas dinner.

The team of chefs at the Metropole Hotel and the Cork International Hotel have adopted a food charter in an effort to cut back on waste, and we have noticed a significant decrease in the amount of food that’s wasted over the past year.

When it comes to making the most out of Christmas leftovers, personally, I think there is nothing better than a festive sandwich the day after.

This is an epic toasted sandwich made of the best bits of the festive period. This quick recipe makes ingenious use of all the different ends of the cheeseboard, leftover stuffing and even the last spoonful of gravy.

I’ve also included a recipe for a gingerbread créme brulée which can be a lovely light dessert after the heavy meal on Christmas Day.

Toasted Festive Christmas Sandwich

Alex Petit Alex Petit

For four sandwiches

Ingredients for the stuffing:

• 50g butter
• 100g fresh breadcrumb
• 20g dried apricots, chopped
• ½ onion, peeled and cut finely
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped finely
• 30g fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, chervil)

Ingredients for the sandwiches:

• 8 slices of good quality bread (sourdough best here)
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 large raw beetroots, peeled and grated finely
• 4 large slices of cooked gammon
• 4 slices of roast turkey
• 100g leftover cheese (cheddar, brie, blue cheese, etc)
• 50g butter
• 100ml gravy

Method:

1. Start by making the stuffing. In a medium size saucepan, melt the butter.
2. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Remove from the heat and add the breadcrumb, chopped apricots and fresh herbs.
4. Season with salt and pepper and mix until the butter is fully combined.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise with a good quality cranberry sauce.
6. Lay down the slices of bread on a board and butter on both sides.
7. Spread the cranberry mayonnaise on all eight slices but only on one side.
8. Add the grated cheese evenly over four slices.
9. Sprinkle the grated beetroot and place the slices of ham atop.
10. Add the stuffing and the slices of turkey.
11. Finish with leftover grated cheese and close the sandwich with the remaining bread.
12. Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat and place the sandwiches carefully on it.
13. Drop down the heat to low as you want to get heat through but not burn the bread.
14. If possible, use a flat plate to add some weight on the sandwiches.
15. When golden brown on one side, carefully turn the sandwiches to the other side and cook for a further seven minutes until golden brown.
16. Remove from the pan and cut the sandwiches in half checking that the middle of the sandwich is hot throughout.
17. Heat up the gravy separately in a medium size sauce pan and pour into four ramekins.
18. Serve the sandwich next to one ramekin of gravy, which I encourage you to dip into at each bite.

Gingerbread Crème Brûlée With Ginger Shortbreads

Alex Petit Alex Petit

Ingredients for the crème brûlée:

• 600 ml pouring cream
• 1 vanilla bean cut in half or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground all spice
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 125 g caster sugar
• 7 egg yolks
• 6 tbsp Demerara brown sugar for sugar topping

Ingredients for the shortbread:

• 125g salted butter, softened
• 55g caster sugar
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• 180g plain flour

Method:

1. For the crème brûlée mix, pour the cream, cinnamon stick and the vanilla bean in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil over medium heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 120 degree Celsius.
4. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar together and beat with a whisk.
5. Keep whisking until the mix has whitened and add the spices.
6. Once the cream has boiled, strain the cream over the egg mix and mix until incorporated.
7. Pour the mix equally over the 6 wide oven proof ceramic ramekins (5cm height by 12cm wide).
8. Bake in the preheated oven at 120 degree Celsius for 30 mins and check consistency.
9. The mix should be firm with a light wobble in the center, cook for a further 10 minutes if required.
10. Cool to room temperature before cooling fully in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
11. For the shortbread, preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
12. Beat the butter and the sugar together in a bowl until smooth with a spatula
13. Stir in the flour and ground ginger until thoroughly combined.
14. Turn the mix onto a clean work surface with a bit of flour.
15. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out until the dough is 1cm / ½in thick.
16. Cut the shortbread fingers and place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
17. Sprinkle with caster sugar and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
18. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

To serve:

• Sprinkle the crème brulée with demerara sugar and spread evenly
• Using a kitchen blow torch, caramelize the sugar
• If you don’t have a blowtorch this can also be done under the oven’s grill but there’s always the risk of the custard softening – To do so, turn on the grill function of your oven to the highest setting
• Place the ramekins under the grill and cook until the sugar has caramelised
• Remove from the oven and place on a plate with a napkin to prevent the ramekins to slide and garnish with a shortbread biscuit.

Alex Petit is the Group Executive Chef at Trigon Hotels which includes The Metropole Hotel in Cork City and the Cork International Hotel.