Michelle Darmody: Make use of those scraps with my Christmas leftover pie

Pic: iStock

These hazy days after Christmas, and before the New Year festivities begin, are always a bit of a blur, especially the way Christmas has fallen this year. 

It is time to put the feet up and not have to bake or cook too much. This is where some frozen puff pastry comes into its own. 

It has so many quick uses from sausage rolls, to camembert and cranberry bites, or for a quick little pie with leftover mince. 

It is also great for encasing some of the Christmas dinner leftovers and making them into a deliciously deep filled pie.

This recipe really does use all aspects from the Christmas dinner, from the meat to the gravy — and you can even do a variation with leftover root vegetables. 

The pie is rich and warming and the cream and mustard add moisture and flavour. Hopefully it is made with bits that you already have in your cupboards over the holidays.

If you are too tired to make a pie, a generously filled turkey and ham sandwich always goes down a treat. 

I love to top a slice of bread with some turkey and cheese, grill it, and press it together with another slice topped with ham and cranberry sauce. The perfect lazy meal for these in between days.

Christmas Leftover Pie

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This pie is rich and warming, and the cream and mustard add moisture and flavour. Hopefully it is made with bits that you already have in your cupboards over the holidays.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• Preheat your oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6.

• Sauté the leeks and garlic in the butter until the leeks have softened.

• Mix the turkey and ham with the leeks and scoop into an ovenproof dish.

• Mix the cream, mustard and gravy together, season if needed. Pour this over the turkey mixture and toss everything.

• Mix the egg yolk and milk to make a wash for the pastry and set aside.

• Roll your pastry so that it fits over the ovenproof dish, keeping some strips aside for decorating the top of the pie. Attach the pastry lid onto the pie and press all around the edge of the pastry sheet with the back of a fork to seal it onto the pie dish.

• Decorate the top of the pie with any extra strips using the egg wash to stick them on.

• Place the pie into the fridge for at least a half an hour so the pastry can firm up.

• After you remove it from the oven, brush the top of the pie with the wash and cut a hole in the centre so the steam can escape while it is baking.

• Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling inside.

Method

1. If you have the ability to get an all butter puff pastry it is worth it. There are a few small producers in Ireland who now provide frozen butter based pastry through the larger supermarkets.

2. As is the norm with other types of pastry, the puff pastry should be at cool room temperature for rolling which will make it more pliable, but then chilled before baking to ensure it is at its most crisp.

3. To stick the pastry lid onto the pie dish, brush the rim of the dish with a little water, then cover the whole rim with a thin strip of pastry. Press it on. You can use this to connect the pastry lid onto the pie dish.

4. To lift the pastry onto the dish gently roll it around a rolling pin and lift it from the work surface. Unroll the pastry lid over the pie and seal it onto the strip that you stuck to the dish with water. Press around the edge with a fork or with your fingers. Trim any excess pastry and use this for decorating.

5. It is important to make a hole in the sheet of pastry to allow steam to escape from the pie. Use the tip of a sharp knife to create the hole in the centre.

6. The egg wash as a dual function. It makes the pastry turn a lovely, shiny golden colour but it also seals the pastry and helps to keep it crisp.

Bakers' Tips

If you have the ability to get an all butter puff pastry it is worth it. There are a few small producers in Ireland who now provide frozen butter based pastry through the larger supermarkets.

As is the norm with other types of pastry, the puff pastry should be at cool room temperature for rolling which will make it more pliable, but then chilled before baking to ensure it is at its most crisp.

To stick the pastry lid onto the pie dish, brush the rim of the dish with a little water, then cover the whole rim with a thin strip of pastry. Press it on. You can use this to connect the pastry lid onto the pie dish.

To lift the pastry onto the dish gently roll it around a rolling pin and lift it from the work surface. Unroll the pastry lid over the pie and seal it onto the strip that you stuck to the dish with water. Press around the edge with a fork or with your fingers. Trim any excess pastry and use this for decorating.

It is important to make a hole in the sheet of pastry to allow steam to escape from the pie. Use the tip of a sharp knife to create the hole in the centre.

The egg wash as a dual function. It makes the pastry turn a lovely, shiny golden colour but it also seals the pastry and helps to keep it crisp.

Three delicious variations

Root vegetable and leftover pie

Add 150g leftover chopped and roasted root vegetables. 

In our house we generally make a mixture of carrots and parsnips for Christmas dinner, tossed in honey and herbs. 

If I use these in the pie I would use a little less turkey and ham. About 250g of each would suffice.

Chicken and leek pie

This pie can easily be adapted at other times of year when you may not have turkey. 

It works very well with leftover chicken from a roast. 

You can add two extra leeks and then use 500g of shredded cooked chicken and proceed with the recipe.

Leftover Sunday roast pie

This variation uses the leftovers from a Sunday roast beef. 

You can use the leeks as directed and then in place of the turkey and ham add 500g of diced leftover roasted beef. 

I would add about 100g of roasted carrots as well. For this version I add stock in place of the gravy, mustard and cream. 

The beef is in danger of drying out if you do not. I would add 350mls of beef stock and stir in 1 tablespoon of flour. 

After you fry your leeks add the stock and flour and stir until there are no lumps. 

Softening the flour with a little stock before adding it to the pot helps with this. 

Add the beef and carrots and then assemble your pie.