Leftover turkey and gammon risotto

Turn your Christmas day leftovers into tomorrow’s main by repurposing the gravy, gammon stock and the leftover turkey and ham to make this dreamy risotto.

I refuse to let any leftovers go to waste and this is probably my favourite way to repurpose all the wonderful leftovers from your Christmas dinner and Boxing Day buffet.

To do it properly, you need to use a combination of gravy and gammon stock to cook the risotto, before stirring in flakes of gammon and turkey at the end.

I like to grate over a healthy portion of wensleydale, but any leftovers from your cheeseboard will work wonders and produce the most indulgent risotto you’ve ever tasted.

How To Make Leftover Turkey And Gammon Risotto

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Leftover turkey and gammon risotto
• What’s the secret to a great risotto – must read

Tips & Notes To Know

• A Christmas day dinner in risotto form: I used turkey and gammon, but any combination of meat, gravy or stuffing would work just as well.
• Be careful with the salt: Gammon is naturally very salty, so be sure to taste the risotto before you add any extra seasoning.

Leftover turkey and gammon risotto

Serves: 2

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Ingredients

200g leftover turkey
100g gammon, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for flash-frying
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1/8 tsp celery salt
150g carnaroli risotto rice
450ml gammon stock
250ml leftover turkey gravy, plus 50ml to serve
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves picked
60g frozen peas
1/2 tbsp cream cheese
20g Wensleydale with cranberries, finely grated

Instructions

Step 1
In a bowl, shred the turkey meat into strips and reserve the skin.

Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a shallow sauté pan over a low-to-medium heat. Add the onion and gently cook for 10-15 minutes or until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the thyme leaves and celery salt and cook for 1 minute more.

Step 3
Pour the gammon stock and turkey gravy into separate saucepans and bring to a simmer on a low heat.

Step 4
Turn the heat up slightly under the onions and add the carnaroli risotto rice. Toast the grains for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the edges of the rice look slightly translucent. This will help to crack the grains so they absorb the stock better.

Step 5
Add a ladleful of gammon stock to the risotto and cook over a low-to-medium heat, stirring often, until nearly all the stock has been absorbed. Gradually add the remainder of the stock a little at a time, followed by the gravy. Continue to simmer and stir regularly but not constantly. 

Step 6
Meanwhile, place a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the turkey skin. When it starts to sizzle and release its fat, add the rosemary leaves and toss to coat. Continue to fry until the turkey skin is golden and crisp; about 2 minutes. Pat the turkey skin and rosemary dry on kitchen paper and set aside.

Step 7
With 3 ladlefuls of gravy left, add the gammon and turkey to the risotto and stir to combine.

Step 8
By the time the final ladleful of gravy has been absorbed, the risotto should be creamy and plump with a slightly chalky bite – the packet usually says this takes about 20 minutes but it's more like 30 minutes so keep tasting. If the grains are still undercooked, add a splash of hot water and continue to cook, stirring often.

Step 9
To finish the risotto, stir in the peas and continue to cook for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese and grated Wensleydale cheese.

Step 10
Cover with a lid and leave the turkey and gammon risotto to sit for 5 minutes before dividing between bowls. Create a little well in the centre for the leftover gravy and garnish with the crispy rosemary leaves and turkey skin before serving.

What’s The Secret To A Great Risotto?

1. Choose the right rice

Long grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, should be nowhere near a risotto. You’ll find that most recipes call for arborio rice, but I prefer to use carnaroli because it produces the best texture (plus it’s harder to overcook).

2. Don’t rinse your rice

Unlike with other types of rice, rinsing risotto rice serves no purpose. The natural starch that is present on the outside of risotto rice is what’s needed to thicken the dish and gives it that smooth, unctuous texture.

By washing the rice, you are getting rid of the starch which will not only affect the texture, but also the cooking time and the consistency of the finished dish.

3. Use a wide, shallow pan

Although I’ve made many risottos in my Le Creuset knock-off, I’ve found it far easier using a wide sauté pan, especially when cooking for my fiancée and I.

The greater surface area means you can comfortably stir the rice and spread it more evenly across the base of the pan.

4. Toast the rice

This step only takes a couple of minutes, but it us vitally important because toasting enhances the rice’s nutty flavour and helps the grains absorb the liquid more evenly. The rice should sizzle as it hits the pan.

You’ll hear a slight popping sound as the rice toasts, but the key is to keep stirring so the grains don’t catch at the bottom of the pan. You’re looking for the grains to become slightly translucent around the edges, not browned.

5. Keep the stock on a rolling boil

Adding cold stock is guaranteed to slow down the cooking process and disrupt the rice’s ability to absorb liquid. Instead, keep the stock simmering on the hob in a separate pot, so you can ladle it into the risotto without losing any temperature.

6. Add the stock gradually

Refrain from tipping all the stock in at once. Add the liquid one ladleful at a time, and wait until the rice has absorbed most of the stock before adding more. This gradual absorption technique is key to developing the creaminess of the risotto as it cooks.

7. Don’t stir for the sake of stirring

Stir the risotto regularly, but not constantly. This helps to coax starch out of the rice, which is needed to create the signature creamy texture of risotto.

However, if you stir too aggressively or often, you risk breaking the grains, which will result in a mushy, porridge-like consistency. A gentle approach is best and will give you a more even and consistent cook on the rice.

8. Consider the cooking time

If you throw the chicken in at the start of the process, the meat will be overcooked by the time the dish is finished. Add it halfway through cooking and let it poach in the liquid.

9. Check the consistency

A properly cooked risotto should spread out on the plate and still have a little bit of liquid in the pan once served. It shouldn’t be soupy or clumpy, but it should have a creamy consistency and enough liquid to create a glossy sauce that coats the rice.

10. Take the taste test

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, the rice should be tender with a slight bite. If the rice is still crunchy, add more stock, simmer gently and check the texture every 2 to 3 minutes. The rice will continue to cook and thicken off the heat, so factor this in to avoid turning your risotto into porridge!

11. Finish with a flourish

Once the risotto is cooked, leave it to rest for 5 minutes. This allows the starches to relax and gives you that velvety and glossy finish – just like you see in the restaurants (and in the above picture, I hope!).