Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat. But much to the relief of many a goose, 80 per cent of households gobbled up turkey for Christmas dinner last year. We all know how much turkey we really need, but we still insist on buying an extra-big bird in order to feast on the leftovers.
I read numerous articles each year suggesting different ways to “use up” these leftovers when all I really want to do is create the ultimate turkey sandwich. It’s something I look forward to every year, and it’s perfect with a mug of hot, strong tea. Of course, chicken or goose can be used instead.
There is no fun in having a turkey curry when snow is still gently falling and there is a sound of distant sleigh bells. This will help you to prolong that warm, fuzzy, festive feeling and to use up all those lovely leftovers, including stuffing (if you have it) and cranberry sauce.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, so now is the time to stock up. I usually buy beautiful loaves of sourdough bread in the lead-up to Christmas, slice them, wrap them well in cling film and freeze. Over the holidays, you can toast slices from frozen or defrost them in minutes by laying on a wire rack.
The beauty of this sociable season is that regular mealtimes become a thing of the past. It’s breakfast at 10am and lunch at 3pm, with plenty of grazing in between. Sandwiches are a sociable thing to prepare. Quite often the bread board and butter, complete with cranberry sauce and pepper, are not cleared from my parents’ kitchen island.
As their grown children return to the nest, we settle in by making rounds of tea and sandwiches. By the time one sitting comes to a close, another sibling returns, jetlagged and hassled from the outside world, craving hot tea and crusty bread.
It’s a time of year when our food culture means so much, when we crave the taste of home and the comforting smells of toast.
In an effort to avoid dry turkey, I sandwich it between a generous layer of cranberry sauce and thick slices of Brie that melt down over the turkey. Camembert makes a good substitute; even a really mature white cheddar is great or a dollop of goat’s cheese for that creamy rich element.
Cavan's Corleggy Cheeses makes its own version of Camembert, the wittily named Cavanbert. It's a beautiful raw cow cheese that melts and oozes just as deliciously as its French counterpart. It should be one of the main attractions on any Irish cheeseboard over the holiday season.
Choose a fruity, piquant cranberry sauce that’s not too sweet. This will be ideal for cutting through the richness of the creamy cheese.
If you have some clove-scented baked ham, then a few slices of it will be delicious on top of the turkey.
I use rocket as I love the peppery kick it lends, but baby spinach leaves work nicely too as it wilt with the heat. It’s not the season for salads but there are usually some lovely green leaves at the back of the fridge. Just keep in mind that they will wilt slightly, so no iceberg lettuce.
The main thing to remember is that, after all the effort that goes into creating the main feast on Christmas day, it’s nice to enjoy amazing food with minimum effort in the days that follow. Just remember to make a big pot of tea to go with it.
THE ULTIMATE TURKEY SANDWICH: SERVES 4
The five ingredients
- 12 thick slices of Brie
- 8 slices of thickly cut sourdough bread
- Roast turkey
- 4tbs cranberry sauce
- Rocket or mixed salad leaves
From the cupboard
- Butter
- Sea salt
- Black or white pepper
Method
Butter each slice of bread. Lay four slices flat on the bread board. Spread each with a generous amount of cranberry sauce, followed by slices of turkey. Season the turkey with a little white pepper and salt. Lay thick slices of Brie over the turkey and top with the rocket leaves. Finally lay the remaining slices of bread on top.
Heat a tablespoon of butter on a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add as many sandwiches as will comfortably fit. Heat until the Brie begins to melt and ooze over the sides of the golden toast. They’ll need two to three minutes per side. Add more butter as necessary. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve hot.
Every Thursday we’ll tweet the five ingredients from @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes.
