A controversial choice to include under the banner ‘classic sandwich’ perhaps, but it certainly now seems to be ‘a thing’. Like Gonks, festive jumpers and mulled everything, the Christmas Sandwich is here and is seemingly ubiquitous. The real question is perhaps, are they any good? The answer – yes, they can be. The traditional Christmas day meal comprises at least one type of roast meat, a selection of vegetables and a variety of condiments, that is to say – all of the component parts of a great sandwich. There’s always a time and place for some leftovers slapped between two slices of bread but what if we took the best elements of a Christmas meal and gave them a little tweak?
Leftover turkey cutlet, cranberry hot sauce, Christmas veg slaw, comte, hot gravy dip, sage and onion bread – The Christmas Sandwich!
- Sage and onion bread
- 1 leftover turkey breast
- 200g breadcrumbs
- ½ red onion
- 1tsp onion powder
- 1tsp dried sage
- 1tsp Pinch! seasoning
- ½tsp paprika
- 1 egg and 50ml milk whisked together
- 200g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 jar of cranberry sauce
- Juice and zest of half an orange
- Scotch Bonnet chilli (as much as you dare, include seeds if you like it hot), chopped
- 1tbsp honey
- Dash of red wine vinegar
- 200g leftover veg
- 1tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 slice Comte cheese
- Handful of rocket or salad leaves
- Gravy dip
- You can find sage and onion bread in most supermarkets at this time of year or you could make your own if you’re feeling fancy. Sweat down some diced onion and sage leaves in oil and butter until soft and leave them to cool before mixing through your bread dough with some black onion seed for extra punch.
- Finely slice half a red onion and add it to a large bowl with lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt, set aside. Take a selection of your leftover veg (sprouts, carrots, parsnips, red cabbage) and finely shred it all before adding to your bowl with the red onion. Add the mustard, yoghurt and mayo and mix everything thoroughly. Season to taste and stir through the chopped parsley to finish your slaw.
- Pop the cranberry sauce, orange juice and zest, honey, vinegar and chilli in a saucepan and bring up to a boil, stirring to combine. Bubble until slightly thickened. Scotch Bonnet is hot, but this sweet and fruity hot sauce can stand up to being pretty spicy. Using a stick blender, blend until smooth and set aside.
- Slice nice, thick, cutlet rounds from the leftover turkey breast and set up a breading station – seasoned flour, whisked egg and milk mixture then breadcrumbs flavoured with onion powder, sage, paprika and Pinch! in three separate containers. Dredge your turkey cutlets in flour then coat in the egg mixture and finally drop them into the breadcrumbs until fully coated.
- Meanwhile pour an inch of veg oil into a frying pan and set it over a medium heat. When the oil is hot (160C) gently lower in your cutlets and shallow fry them until golden. Remove from the pan and drain the cutlets on a wire rack. Pop your leftover gravy in a pan and reheat it ready for your sandwich.
- Assemble your sandwich – slice the bread and lightly toast it then spread with mayo or butter. Place your turkey cutlet(s) with Comte on top – this can then be placed under a hot grill to melt. When the cheese is melted, liberally apply your cranberry hot sauce and then crown with a healthy spoonful of slaw, the rocket leaves and the top slice of bread. Tightly wrap it all in greaseproof paper and slice for the cross section. Decant your hot gravy into a dipping pot to enjoy alongside. Some leftover spuds would be great, as would a large glass of port!
The Cross Section is about all things sandwiches and is brought to you by Belly of the Beast. Each issue we’ll look at a different ‘classic’ sandwich and talk through its history and how to make a great one at home! Chris Coulter is the man behind Belly Of The Beast – creator of innovative, award-winning condiments which he puts to use in fresh sandwiches available direct from his kitchen in Byker and at Sorcerer Coffee in Newcastle. Follow Chris @bellyofthebeastco
