Darina Allen: Three ways to use up roast-dinner leftovers

Moussaka: a Greek peasant recipe served in almost every taverna in Greece.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the enduring popularity of the roast dinner. You loved it, but wanted some ideas for what to do with the leftovers.

For me, they are not a bother, I love the challenge, a brilliant opportunity to have fun in the kitchen concocting some new combinations and some much loved traditional dishes.

Let’s start with lamb, you can’t go wrong with lamb and beans - not sure if you have much left over but trim or scrape every morsel off the bones (don’t give the bones to the dog yet!). 

Add juicy cubes of lamb to a bean stew or even plain baked beans, maybe add some chilli flakes and lots of freshly chopped herbs. Taste and season up well, maybe add some sweet paprika.

Alternatively, mince or finely chop the meat and throw the bones into a pot with some sliced carrot, onion and leek to make a tasty broth. 

Add a few peppercorns, a few fresh herbs and stalks, cover with cold water and the lid. Allow to bubble for a couple of hours, there’s lots of flavour in lamb bones. 

Strain, add a couple of tablespoons of pearl barley or even rice, some freshly chopped vegetables, some cubes of meat and lots of chopped parsley. 

Simmer for a few minutes until the vegetables and barley are cooked through. Season with salt and a dash of Aleppo pepper for the most comforting bowl of lamb broth. 

For extra oomph, you could add a little of the leftover gravy or else save it to mix with the minced lamb for an old-fashioned but super delicious shepherd’s pie.

Cover with a generous layer of mashed potato and maybe add a little sweated onion and mushroom ketchup to the mince for extra sweetness.

Some folks like to add a few peas, but I like it best unadorned. However, a few slices of garlic butter melting into the topping just before you tuck in, can raise even a mediocre pie to a new level.

If you’d rather a more exciting sounding way to use leftover lamb, how about the South African bobotie or a Moroccan moussaka, both are perked up with fresh herbs and spices and also freeze perfectly.

Make the most of any leftover rare beef to make juicy focaccia sandwiches with a dollop of horseradish sauce, a few slices of avocado and ripe tomato and maybe a few peppery rocket leaves.

BEEFING WITH THE LEFTOVERS

Leftover beef can of course be treated in the same way as lamb but change the name to cottage pie. Tasty gravy and maybe a dash of Worcestershire sauce are vital flavour enhancers here too.

Fold some diced beef into a creamy mushroom sauce for a super quick beef stroganoff. Enjoy with leftover mashed potato and a leafy green salad or toss it over pasta for a more substantial supper.

Or how about quesadillas or tacos with a base of mole sauce or even a ragu with added smoked paprika and chipotle paste, some ripe tomatoes and a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Pork is more susceptible to ‘warmed over’ flavour than beef or lamb due to the high proportion of unsaturated fat. 

For pulled pork, shred while still warm, pack tightly into a bowl, cover with a layer of pork fat if available, or pop into a plastic bag and refrigerate or freeze.

Barbecue sauce works wonders here, warm the pulled pork gently in the sauce and use to fill sliders or brioche buns, perhaps with a little coleslaw or a crunchy salad mixture of your choice, I love a little shredded sweet apple in there too.

If you are lucky enough to have some leftover crackling, chop it up finely and add that crunchy goodness to the filling.

So many options, leftover pork also make great tacos but my favourite with lean leftover pork, is to slice it, as close to paper thin as possible, lay in a single layer on a plate then slather it with tonnato sauce and a sprinkling of crispy capers, so delicious.

In Italy, this would normally be made with veal but it works really well with traditionally reared roast pork.

Juicy fat pork belly works great for Chinese stir fries and sweet and sour dishes too or to slice into a bowl of ramen.

Bobotie

recipe by:Darina Allen

South African comfort food at its best - try bobotie and add it to your weekly meal rotation immediately

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 South African

Ingredients

• 30ml oil

• 4 tbsp butter

• 450g minced beef

• 2 onions, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 110g carrot, grated

• 2 tsp curry powder

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 2½ tsp ground ginger

• 3 tsp fresh herbs, finely chopped 

• 1 tsp turmeric

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp sugar to taste 

• a piece of red chilli

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 15g almonds, chopped

• lemon leaves or 2 tsp lemon rind, finely grated

• 15ml wine vinegar

• 2 x 2.5cm slices of bread, soaked in water, drained and squeezed dry

• 250ml buttermilk

• 2  eggs

• salt

• pepper

• 2½ tsp turmeric

Method

1. Heat the butter and oil, add onion and garlic and cook until soft.

2. Add mince and stir well.

3. Add grated carrot, spices, chilli, seasoning, chopped almonds and lemon rind. Stir well and continue to cook until the flavours mingle.

4. Stir in the soaked and squeezed bread, and the wine vinegar.

5. Mix well, taste and correct seasoning.

6. Put the meat into a shallow rectangular baking dish and smooth over.

7. Whisk all the ingredients together for the topping, check the seasoning and strain over the meat.

8. Bake at once in a preheated oven at 180°C until topping is set and golden.

Greek Moussaka

recipe by:Darina Allen

This Greek peasant recipe, served in almost every taverna in Greece is one of the best ways to use up leftover lamb. There are many variations on the theme, some include a layer of cooked potato slices and raisins. I’m sure it’s not my imagination, but I

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Greek

Ingredients

• 350g (12oz) aubergines

• 350g (12oz) courgettes

• 1 x 400g (14oz) tin tomatoes (use at this time of year) but very ripe fresh tomatoes are best in summer

• 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for frying

• 1 onion, finely chopped (include some green part of spring onion if you have it)

• 1 large garlic clove, crushed

• 450g (1lb) cooked minced lamb

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram or thyme

• 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

• 1 bay leaf

• pinch of grated nutmeg

• 2 tsp plain white flour

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• 50g (2oz) raisins, plumped up in hot water while you prepare the other ingredients (optional)

• For the topping:

• 45g (1 ½ oz) butter

• 45g (1 ½ oz) plain white flour

• 600ml (1 pint) whole milk

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 tbsp cream

• 110g (4oz) grated Gruyère or mature Cheddar cheese or a mixture

• salt and freshly-ground pepper

Method

1. Slice the aubergines and courgettes into 1cm (½ inch) slices, score the flesh lightly with a sharp tip of a knife, sprinkle with salt. Leave for half an hour. Roughly chop the tinned tomatoes. Peel and chop the fresh tomatoes finely, if using. Keep the juices.

2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy saucepan over a gentle heat, add the onions and garlic and cover and sweat for 4 minutes. Add the meat, herbs, bay leaf and nutmeg to the onions. Stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute then pour in the tomatoes and their juice. Bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season well.

3. Dab the aubergines dry with kitchen paper. Heat a pan-grill over a fairly high heat. Brush both sides of the aubergines generously with extra virgin olive oil, cook until richly coloured on each side. Brush both sides of the courgettes with olive oil, pan-grill until richly coloured on each side. As the courgettes are ready, transfer into the bottom of a shallow casserole. Tip the meat mixture onto the courgettes, sprinkle with the drained raisins if using, then lay the fried aubergines on top. See that the top is as flat as possible.

4. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4.

5. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring for 1 minute, then draw off the heat, add the milk slowly, whisking out the lumps as you go. Add the bay leaf. Return the pan to the heat and stir until boiling. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened. Whisk the egg yolk with the cream in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the sauce on to this mixture whisking all the time. Add half the cheese and pour over the aubergines in the casserole. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven until completely reheated and nicely browned on top. Serve with a good green salad.

6. Moussaka can be made up in large quantities ahead of time, cooled quickly and frozen after it has been closely covered with parchment paper.
   
   Note: In Autumn, if using fresh tomatoes at the end of the season, it may be necessary to use about 65ml (2 ½ fl oz) of stock to make the mince juicy enough.

Pork tonnato

recipe by:Darina Allen

Paper-thin slices of lean pork or rosé veal are delicious with this classic tonnato sauce. I first tasted this at a Slow Food event in Piedmont in Italy.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 16 paper-thin slices of cold roast pork

• For the sauce

• 4 rounded tbsp homemade mayonnaise

• 75g canned tuna in oil and 2 tbsp of the oil

• 2 anchovies

• 1 tbsp capers

• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• freshly cracked black pepper

• To garnish

• capers

• rocket leaves

Method

1. First make the tonnato sauce.

2. Put the mayonnaise into a food-processor with the tuna, oil, anchovies, capers, lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper, whizz until smooth, taste and then put into a bowl.

3. Add a little more water if necessary to thin to a light coating consistency.

4. Lay a couple of slices of cooked pork or veal on a plate in a single layer. Drizzle with tonnato sauce, garnish with a few crispy capers and a sprig or two of rocket (arugula).

November at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Forgotten Skills: Weaving with Rushes at Ballymaloe Organic Farm School, November 13 

As part of our Forgotten Skills series, artist Sonia Caldwell of Kilcoe Studios in Ballydehob, Co. Cork will deliver this one day course celebrating native plants and heritage crafts.

Using common club rush (or bulrushes as they can be referred to), you will learn the craft of making these into a table mat and a basket.

The rushes are gathered by a fresh water lake in West Cork. In the morning, you will learn how to start and with Sonia's help will make your first piece into a little mat.

After lunch, you'll practice the same start technique, and this time build up your piece into a small basket.

You will also have the choice to work on one basket over the day. Previous experience of working and creating with rushes is not necessary but good use of the hands and dexterity is useful.

Sonia will cover the preparation of the rushes, sorting, starting, twining and finishing and will also explore the potential of other materials that can be used for the same process.

• ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/farm-school

Ballymaloe Craft Fair

The Ballymaloe Craft Fair will take place over two weekends from November 14-16 and 21-23. 

The perfect start to your Christmas shopping, it offers a unique opportunity to support Irish suppliers and artisans.

Held over two weekends, this festive event features over 200 Irish craft and design exhibitors, which change each weekend.

Discover a diverse range of unique, handmade Christmas gifts, decorations, and consumables.

You won't want to miss the delicious line-up of food and drink offerings this year, from hot chocolate to mulled wine to a diverse range of food trucks.

Free shuttle bus service from Midleton Train Station and Ballycotton (with stops along the way).

• ballymaloegrainstore.com