Transform your leftovers on St Stephen’s Day …
Originally from Co Tyrone, Irish cook Cherie Denham’s new book The Irish Kitchen chronicles and reflects how Irish cooking has evolved, while also including many of Cherie’s own family recipes. In a chapter dedicated to Christmas, she shares her favourite recipes.
“On Christmas night and Boxing Day, Mummy used to make the best turkey, ham and stuffing sandwiches this side of County Tyrone. Two slices of Nutty Krust bread were buttered (heavily) and spread with HP Sauce, for those of us who liked it, and then the Christmas leftovers were layered on top. The bread was so fresh our fingers made indentations in it and the filling was so delicious that one sandwich just wasn’t enough.
We washed it all down with mugs of tea. This is one lovely Christmas memory for me. Although I still make Mummy’s Christmas sandwiches, I also make this pie, often on St Stephen’s Day It’s the same idea but rich, buttery pastry replaces the bread. It’s great hot or cold and lovely to take on a walk for your picnic. The pastry is very crumbly and breaks easily but it tastes so good. If you don’t want to make your own pastry, shop-bought all-butter puff pastry works just as well. Add cranberry sauce, too, if you have it.” @cheriedenhamcooks
ST STEPHEN’S DAY PIE
Serves 8
55g Gubbeen cheese or mature Cheddar
55g Irish cheddar
55g leftover stuffing
110g leftover ham
200g leftover turkey
110g pigs in blankets
3 tbsps chopped chives
170ml double (heavy) cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pastry
500g plain (all-purpose) flour
Pinch of sea salt
285g cold unsalted butter, diced
4 medium egg yolks beaten with 4 tbsps cold water, plus 1 beaten egg for brushing
Method
1. First, make the pastry. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Gently stir together with a spoon, then pulse until a dough forms.
2. Roll a little less than half of the pastry into a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inch) rectangle and place on a baking sheet lined with a large sheet of baking parchment. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Wrap the remaining pastry and chill.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F/Gas 6).
4. Prick the rectangle of pastry all over with a fork, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool. Take the remaining pastry out of the refrigerator.
5. Now make the filling. Mix together the cheeses and stuffing in a bowl, then scatter half of this mixture over the pastry base, leaving a 2 cm (3/4 inch) border all around.
6. Tear the meat into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the chives and cream and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then spoon over the stuffing and cheese.
7. Scatter the remaining cheese and stuffing over the top.
8. Roll out the remaining pastry into a 40 x 28 cm (16 x 11 inch) rectangle. If it starts to crack, just brush it gently with your finger and the cracks will disappear.
9. Brush the beaten egg around the edge of the filled pastry, then place the other sheet of pastry on top. Crimp to seal, brush all over with beaten egg and score the top with the rounded end of a knife. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and use a palette knife or fish slice to slide the pie onto a serving platter.
Recipe from: The Irish Kitchen by Cherie Denham and Andrew Montgomery, foreword by Diana Henry, Montgomery Press, £30stg.