A FEAST FOR Boxing Day

Top chefs Rick Stein, James Martin and more share how they most love to use up leftover food at Christmas

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AFTER the lead-up to Christmas and the family-filled chaos of the day itself, Boxing Day can feel like a welcome relief of proper rest, more festive films and, most importantly, making your way through the ample leftovers.

Chefs, even if they have the day off, are still likely to be cooking on Christmas Day for their families, so a low-effort Boxing Day is in order. Here's what top chefs and cookery writers like to create with festive leftovers.

Rick Stein

"We tend to have a walk on Boxing Day, quite a long walk, over Bodmin Moor and find a pub somewhere, have a couple of pints and go home and just have a late afternoon, early evening dinner," says Rick.

"Boxing Day for me is leftover turkey, leftover ham, baked potatoes with lots of butter, winter salad, cabbage salad with beetroot, celery, nuts, apple, cabbage and some mayo, a sort of slightly coleslaw thing, and lots and lots of condiments, chutneys and pickles. You have it cold except the baked potatoes.

"That's almost as enjoyable as Christmas lunch or dinner," says Rick.

Rick Stein's Christmas: Recipes, Memories & Stories for the Festive Season (BBC Books, £28)