Christmas Leftover Surprise!

It's the week after Christmas and we haven't been to the supermarket (in fact we've barely been out of the house -- or bed for that matter) but the fridge is still full.  So here is a recipe for using up leftovers!  The surprise?  It doesn't have anything to do with turkey.

In the outdoor fridge (otherwise known as the back garden) were several cans of Carlsberg, the remains of an entire slab brought by a guest back in mumblymumble-aprilorsomething and not consumed at any of our subsequent parties, since we don't really drink beer and all our friends prefer the posh bottled stuff.  The cans were marked 'best before Feb 2013'; I figured they needed using up... somehow.

In the indoor fridge, a bag of shredded cheese, bought for the purpose of making nachos at our pre-Christmas party -- nachos which never eventuated, given the amount of other food produced for the occasion.

Also left over in the fridge: pancetta (from roasted brussels sprouts with caramelised pancetta); sour cream (also aforementioned non-existent nachos); a ridiculous quantity of roast potatoes ("Are you sure 2.5kg of potatoes is enough?" I asked.  "Hmm, maybe not," said Lee.  "But don't forget there are also parsnips, sweet potatoes, sprouts, broccoli, beans, carrots, stuffing and little sausages wrapped in bacon."  "Well, ok then, that will probably do."  Note to self for next year: 2.5kg is MORE than enough) and an obscene amount of turkey stock (ok, I lied).

The solution?  Clearly: make soup!  Soup is the solution to all leftover problems, always, no matter how bizarre a combination it might seem.  And, as luck would have it, beer and cheese soup is actually a recognised thing.  (You know, a thing.  Yes, one of those.)  Of course, I can't resist a good soup-Spoonerism... so here is my recipe for Cheer and Bees Soup.  Recommended for increasing levels of cheer, and with the special bonus surprise that it doesn't contain any bees!

Cheer and Bees Soup
100g diced pancetta
1 red onion
1 large carrot
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
2 handfuls (about 1 cup?) leftover roast potatoes, chopped into small pieces
1 can Carlsberg
2 cups stock
2 tbs sherry
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 heaped tsp dijon mustard
1 heaped tsp seeded mustard
2 handfuls (about 1 cup?) grated cheese
2 tbs cornflour
a few globs (about 1/3 cup?) sour cream
salt and pepper

Heat medium saucepan and fry pancetta in its own fat until crisp and browned.  Meanwhile, chop onion and carrot finely (or blitz in food processor).  When pancetta is done, remove oh-so-tasty little crunchy pieces to a plate and set aside (resisting the temptation to eat them one-by-one while making the rest of the recipe); add onion, carrot and herbs to remaining fat and cook until softened and fragrant.  Add beer, potatoes and stock and bring to a simmer.  Add sherry, Worcestershire sauce and mustards; remove from heat and stir in cheese and sour cream.  Return to gentle heat and continue to stir until cheese is mostly dissolved.  Mix cornflour with a little water and add to pan; bring just to the point of boiling and simmer until thickened.  At this point the soup may still be a bit stringy from the cheese -- a quick whizz with the hand blender should bring it together nicely and thicken the texture.  Taste, season and serve with little bacon bits sprinkled on top.

Experiments in mulling

It being the season to be jolly, I find a cup of hot spiced wine helps immensely with achieving said jollity.  Now, in Manchester one can easily find mulled wine at the Christmas Markets all over the city, but that requires a) venturing out of one's house, b) braving the Christmas shopping and market crowds, and c) paying far more than I consider reasonable for what you get.  So I have been experimenting with making my own mulled wine at home.  Reviews from guests so far have been eminently favourable and for the price of about 4 drinks at the markets, I have been able to produce enough of this mulled wine to supply a small army, so I consider the experiment to be an unqualified success. 

Red mulled wine

2 cups strong-brewed Christmas tea (or water)
zest of 3 oranges, 2 lemons, 1 lime
1/4 cup demerara sugar
6 star anise
12 cloves
9 cardamom pods
3 cinnamon sticks
4-inch piece ginger, finely sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
3 bottles red wine
1/4 cup honey (to taste)
200ml brandy
juice of 1/2 lemon

Place tea (or water), zest, sugar, spices and ginger in a large saucepan, cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 minutes to let spices infuse.  Add citrus slices and red wine, heat until barely simmering.  Add honey and lemon juice to taste.  Put a splash of brandy in each mug and ladle hot mulled wine over to serve.

But why stop at the usual red mulled wine?  Today's experiment: white mulled wine, in a single-bottle quantity for testing purposes:

White mulled wine

1/2 cup water (or strong-brewed Christmas tea)
zest of 2 lemons, 1 lime
2 tbs white sugar
1 star anise
6 cardamom pods
6 cloves
pinch cinnamon
2-inch piece ginger, finely shredded
250ml apple juice
1 apple, sliced crossways
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 bottle white wine
1 dsp honey
1/4 cup brandy

Place tea or water, zest, sugar, spices and ginger in a saucepan, cover and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.  Add apple juice and sliced fruit, continue to simmer about 10 min.  Add white wine, honey to taste and brandy.