Twelve days of Christmas eating

I reported on the first day of Christmas but how did we fare on the following 11? Well we made the most of our Christmas leftovers & barely had to visit the shops which is always a bonus. While I am on the subject, I was shocked this year, to discover that many people believe that the 12 days of Christmas are some sort of countdown leading up to Christmas day. They are not - they are the 12 days from Christmas day to Epiphany (6th January), which is when the 3 fellows from the East turned up in Bethlehem bearing gifts. I'm sure all of you knew that but if not then you do now.
Anyway back to our Christmas fare. We have had a Boxing Day favourite for many years now which is the Christmas coleslaw I told you about last year. I really recommend this and you could variations using chicken or green cabbage at any time. It is beautifully refreshing when you feel you have over-indulged. Note the salt dishes. I was given a packet of black salt for Christmas. Doesn't it look wonderful?
Phoebe's request for the turkey leftovers is always turkey, cranberry & Camembert pizza. When I lived in London, I used to eat a version of this on Vogel's toast for Boxing day breakfast. Just pop under the grill until the cheese is melted.
We finished up the turkey in a turkey pie, which is my usual left over roast chicken pie method. In a pan, saute a finely chopped onion and anything else you have in the fridge that you want to use - capsicum, carrot, celery, mushrooms. Add the shredded cooked turkey and any left over vegetables from your Christmas dinner with the left over gravy. If the mixture feels dry because you skimped on the gravy, add some of the stock you made from the giblets. Pile into a pie dish or casserole & top with pastry. Peter is the pastry maker in our house and he has recently taken to adding a small grating of Parmesan. Try it. Bake the pie at about 180 until the pastry is golden & crisp - about 30 mins. Serve with a crisp green salad.
In addition to the giblet stock we used in the gravy we made regular turkey stock on Christmas day and that is all in the freezer to be used in risottos etc.
Using the turkey was quite easy but the ham was a bit more of a challenge for 3 to consume. I'm always up for a challenge. In the early days you can't go past sliced ham with boiled potatoes and salad. I have a new favourite dressing for boiled potatoes. For about 1 1/2 kilos new season potatoes - I use Jersey Benne or Perla, whisk 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup white wine with 2 tbsp whole grain mustard. Start with a large bowl because you add everything to this. Cook & drain your potatoes well then halve them - this helps to soak up the dressing. Add to the vinegar mix & leave about two mins. Finely chop 1/2 a red onion & leave to soak in cold water about 10 minutes. This is a great trick for red onion you are going to use raw because it softens a little & takes away the sharpness. Drain & use a tea towel to squeeze out the excess liquid. Drizzle a little olive oil over the potatoes & add the onions & about 2 tbsp each finely chopped parsley & basil. Season & toss gently to coat the potatoes. I think this may be similar to a French warm potato salad and is an excellent way to serve young potatoes. Also make a mayonnaise potato salad and add diced ham.
If you are feeling more adventurous try egg, ham & cheese souffle toasts. This is a recipe from the Chateau de Commarin in Burgundy, France. Lightly toast slices of slightly stale white bread and cut into elegant rounds using a biscuit cutter or small glass. One per person. Do the same with slices of ham. Separate an egg (one per person), and mix the yolks with a little grated Gruyere, then season. Whisk the whites until stiff. To assemble, top each slice of bread with a slice of ham & a dollop of eggy mix then top with a dome of whisked egg white. Put into a pan of hot sunflower oil & with a tablespoon, drizzle the oil gently over the whites until golden.
Continuing with the French theme I had to try the Jambon Persille I enjoyed in Dijon. This was really fun. I read through a recipe from a French cookbook I have - the one with the Boeuf Bourgigon mentioned in the same blog entry - and Julia Child's version & came up with something I was very happy with. First we clarified some stock with egg white. The idea was to render the stock very clear but I wouldn't bother again. Whatever method you choose just try to get your stock as clear as you can. To one cup stock add about 1/4 cup of very finely chopped or minced green tops from spring onions for flavour & colour & dissolve 4 leaves of gelatin or a scant tbsp of the powdered version. Leave to cool but not set.
In a bowl mix 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1 clove of garlic mashed, 1/2 tbsp dried tarragon & 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar with salt & pepper to taste and 1/2 cup of the aspic. Chop the ham into 2cm chunks. In a chilled bowl spread a thin layer of the parsley mix then pack with layers of ham & parsley aspic. When the bowl is filled, cover with a weighted plate & chill until set. You are weighting it to press it together & make it easier to slice. When you take it out roughly scumble the top with a fork & pour over the remaining cup of parsley aspic (cool but not set). The scumbling (Julia's word) is to disguise the plate marks. I thought mine looked just like the pictures & it was delicious. Apparently traditionally served at Easter in Burgundy but will become a regular part of my Christmas repertoire.
Finish up the ham in a quiche or pie then all that's left to do is make the pea & ham soup. Throw the ham hock in a saucepan with 500g green split peas, a diced onion, a bay leaf & just cover with water. Simmer several hours, blend, season to taste & freeze for a rainy day.
Christmas eating is over for another year.