River Cottage Love Your Leftovers

Meat is one of the richest and most flavourful foods we have at our disposal. It is a luxury in many senses, not least because a creature has died to provide it. I have long been an advocate of eating less meat, but better meat. Making that flesh go as far as it can is not only an act of thrift, but also of respect.

Thankfully, it’s not difficult. Meat is one of the great engines of leftovers cooking and it almost always pays to prepare more than you need for a single meal. Not only do you benefit from economies of scale in terms of time spent, energy used and washing up generated but, after all the careful seasoning and marinating, chopping and stirring, simmering and basting, prodding and cosseting that often goes into getting meat onto the table, it’s rather gleeful to be able to reap the benefits a second time around with barely a whisper of fuss or trouble.

This is when all that hard work really pays dividends: in a few shamefully easy steps, you can turn last night’s beef stew into tomorrow’s enchiladas, Sunday’s roast pork into a creamy casserole fragrant with rosemary, that leg or shoulder of lamb into a lovely shepherd’s pie.

Successful use of meat leftovers doesn’t always depend on having lots to play with. Meat has bags of flavour and if you add even more in the shape of herbs, seasonings, condiments and spicy salad leaves, you can then use a considerable quantity of blander, bulkier carbs, veg and/or pulses to really make the most of what you’ve got.

Scrape every last scrap and morsel from the bones. Even the tiniest meat shreds can deliver a real shot of savoury, ‘umami’ flavour, especially if fried until crisp, confidently seasoned and scattered on salads or soups. In a number of recipes you’ll see I’ve referred to ‘shards’ of crispy meat, and indeed skin. Chicken skin especially can be roasted miraculously into delicious ‘crackling’. Deployed like this, meat almost becomes a ‘spice’ and a little can go a very long way.

Even when the meat is gone, never throw out any bones. These can be simmered into the stocks that are in themselves an absolute mainstay of leftovers cooking – meal-makers for the scraps and oddments of tomorrow. If you don’t have quite enough bones to justify getting the stockpot out, or you simply don’t have time right now, just toss them into a bag in the freezer until you do.

There is a reason why this comforting classic is known as ‘Jewish penicillin’: studies suggest that its anti-inflammatory properties are scientific fact, not popular myth. Whatever the truth, it makes an easy and nutritious meal just as it is, or you can customise it with all manner of leftovers and even change its character by varying the garnish and seasoning.

The soup relies for its character on a really good chicken stock, simmered slowly for at least 3 hours with plenty of veg and then quite scrupulously skimmed to remove any scum and all but the lightest shimmer of fat.

2 celery sticks, trimmed and thinly sliced, plus some leaves, finely shredded, if you have them

1 small leek, white part only (keep the green part for stock), very thinly sliced

Pour the stock into a pan, add the vegetables and simmer for 20 minutes until they are tender. Add the shredded chicken and simmer for a further 5 minutes until heated through.

Add the chopped parsley and celery leaves, if using, and season well with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve straight away, with crusty bread if you like.

Chicken noodle soup Add about 50g vermicelli or angel’s hair pasta. To preserve the clarity of the broth, cook the pasta separately and add it right at the end with the chicken, giving it just enough time to heat through.

Chicken and egg Cut leftover (or freshly made) omelette into thin strips and toss into the soup at the end.

Up the green veg (as shown) Add some fresh or leftover peas, green beans, mangetout and/or broad beans, or some shredded lettuce (slightly limp leaves will do).

Swap the meat This is a good soupy base for other leftover roast meats, such as lamb, beef, pork, duck, goose or game. A handful of pearl barley is a good addition with lamb or beef.

My Mum used to make this classic regularly with our roast chicken leftovers. I’ve recently revived it for my family and it always goes down a treat.

100–200g chestnut or other mushrooms, thickly sliced, or left whole if button-small

500ml chicken stock (see Stocks), or a mix of chicken stock and leftover gravy, hot

Few tablespoons of parsley and/or tarragon leaves, roughly chopped or torn (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.

Turn up the heat a little, add the mushrooms and fry until they take on a bit of colour and start to give up their moisture, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and fry for a minute.

Add the flour, stir well and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Add the wine along with the hot stock, or stock and gravy, and stir well – you want the liquid to combine with the floury residue in the pan.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly, and cook gently until smooth and thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and any woody thyme stems from the pot.

Add the chicken and any leftover vegetables you’re using, and cook until heated through. Stir in the herbs, if using, season well with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

Stir in the crème fraîche or cream, return to the heat and warm through very gently. Serve with mash and roasted carrots or wilted greens.

Chicken and mushroom pie This fricassée works well as a pie filling, or you can top it with leftover roast potatoes and bake it as for Lancashire hot pot.

Rabbit and mushroom fricassée Try replacing the chicken with leftover rabbit, or rabbit combined with a few chunks of ham or cooked bacon or pancetta.

This is a terrific way to turn a few ladlefuls of leftover stew into a whole new meal. With apologies to purist Mexican chefs everywhere, almost any combination – based on almost any meat, or indeed veg – can take this treatment. Try it with the chicken fricassée or chicken, white bean and chorizo salad, or even the Lancashire hot pot. If you have only a small amount of stew, you can bulk it out with tinned borlotti, cannellini, kidney or black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed.

2 jalapeño or other medium-hot green chillies, halved, membrane and seeds removed (for a milder version if preferred), finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Lightly oil an ovenproof frying pan or a medium baking dish, about 20 x 30cm.

To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a generous pinch of salt and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chillies, garlic and ground spices and stir for a minute.

Tip in the sweetcorn and chopped tomatoes with their juice. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Season well with salt and pepper.

Warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave, according to the packet instructions.

Pour half of the tomato sauce into the frying pan or baking dish and spread evenly.

Divide the stew-based filling between the tortillas, spooning it along the middle of each one. Roll up and place the stuffed tortillas seam side down in the pan or baking dish.

Pour over the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle on the cheese. Bake until bubbling hot, about 25–30 minutes.

Serve each portion topped with a dollop of soured cream and a scattering of spring onions and coriander if you like, with plain rice and a crisp green salad on the side.

Non-meat version Try stuffing the warmed corn tortillas with leftover roast vegetables, moistened with a little of the tomato sauce and some of the grated cheese if you like. Roast potatoes are particularly good, folded in with some wilted spinach or any other wilted leaves you have to hand.

Not-so-Cornish pasties In place of the tortillas, roll out shortcrust pastry to a 3–4mm thickness and cut out 4 rounds. Spoon the cold stew onto one half of each circle, brush the edges with water, fold over the other half and crimp the edges to seal. Place the pasties on a lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash and bake at 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5 for 35–40 minutes.

This is a great way to use up small amounts of chicken and sausage, and trusty pulses soak up all those meaty flavours beautifully. For added crunch, I sometimes sprinkle on some toasted seasoned breadcrumbs.

100–200g cooking chorizo, or other spicy sausage, skin removed and broken into 2cm chunks

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the chorizo to the pan, with any strips of chicken skin you have, and cook until the chorizo releases its fat.

Scoop the chorizo out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the chicken skin in the pan and fry for a bit longer until it starts to crisp up. Scoop it out too and set aside with the chorizo.

Toss the onion and peppers into the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic and cumin. Fry gently for a minute, until you have a fragrant mixture, but be careful not to scorch the spices.

Return the chorizo to the pan. Add the cooked chicken, beans and dried chilli flakes, if using, and heat through thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon into bowls, top with any fried chicken skin and scatter over the chopped parsley or basil. Serve straight away.

You can also let this cool to room temperature before eating it – but don’t leave it hanging around too long.

Chicken, bean and chorizo stew Add about 300ml chicken stock with the shredded chicken and beans and simmer for 15 minutes before seasoning. You could also add 3 tablespoons soured cream before finishing with the herbs.

Tortilla-topped pie Spoon the above hot stew into a flameproof dish, snip a couple of corn tortillas into rough triangles, scatter over the top and sprinkle on some grated Cheddar. Grill until the cheese is bubbling and finish with some finely chopped spring onions.

Swap the meat Use leftover cooked pork, beef, rabbit or duck to make the salad, or the stew or pie variations.

Peanut butter – and other nut butters – is one of my favourite ways to add depth and richness to spicy sauces and dressings. This particular dressing goes very well with chicken but it’s good tossed through everything – from cooked green beans to griddled little gem lettuces.

Tear the chicken into shreds and place in a bowl with the spring onions, red pepper and herbs.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients, except the stock or water, until combined. Then gradually whisk in the stock or water.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined. Serve with lime wedges.

Add peas or beans If you have any leftover green beans, broad beans or peas, toss them into the salad.

Pad out with noodles Serve the salad over rice noodles, cooked, rinsed in cold water and dressed with sesame oil and a squeeze of lime.

This simple dish, based on a classic Ottoman recipe, creates something rather sophisticated from leftover chicken, a handful of walnuts and a bit of stale bread. It’s traditionally made from poached chicken, with the broth used to moisten the creamy sauce, but roast chicken and a bit of stock or even a splash of gravy does the job very well. Serve it as it is, or with a crisp green salad, on crostini or rolled into wraps.

Scatter the bread in a shallow dish, pour over the milk and leave for 15 minutes or so until it’s fully absorbed.

Using a large pestle and mortar, bash the walnuts and garlic together to form a rough paste. (Or you can do this in a food processor.) Add the bread and pound (or whiz) it with the walnut mixture, adding enough broth, stock or gravy to make a creamy sauce.

Tear the chicken into shreds and place in a bowl. Add the walnut sauce and chopped coriander and fold through until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve the dish straight away but it’s better if you cover and refrigerate it for an hour or so, to let the flavours mingle. It will keep well, covered and refrigerated for a couple of days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Just before serving, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. Stir in the chilli flakes and warm gently for a minute, adding the paprika, if using, just before serving.

Divide the chicken and walnut sauce between plates and add the chicken cracking, if using. Scatter over the coriander leaves, trickle the spiced butter over the chicken, and serve.

Chicken crackling

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Lay some cooked or raw chicken skin in a roasting tin in a single layer and season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 10–15 minutes or until crisp; raw skin can take up to 15 minutes longer. Drain the rendered fat into a clean jar to use later. Serve the chicken crackling warm, either as it is or tossed with a little very finely chopped rosemary. Enjoy as a snack or use as a garnish where appropriate.

What I love about this recipe is how easily it turns Sunday lunch into Monday’s lunchbox. If you have some leftover gravy, heat it up and add it to the liquid or stock you use to cook the couscous. I’ve added carrots and peas, but you can be pretty inventive with what you throw in – if it tasted good with your roast dinner, it’ll taste good in your couscous too. I season this with a dollop of mint sauce or jelly, and stir in some perky herbs too, to add freshness.

300ml hot water or stock (see Stocks) and/or gravy, if you have it (or the amount of liquid specified on the couscous packet)

Small handful of mint, parsley and/or coriander leaves, roughly chopped or torn, plus extra leaves to finish

To prepare the couscous, put it into a bowl, add the hot water or stock and olive oil, then cover and leave to soak for a short time, according to the packet instructions.

When the couscous is swollen and tender, add the mint sauce or jelly, lemon zest and juice, and sprinkle on the ground spices. Fork the couscous gently to fluff it up and combine it with the seasonings.

Add the lamb, vegetables and herbs and toss gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, a little more lemon if you like, and a splash of olive oil.

Fruity couscous and lamb Add a small handful of dried fruits such as raisins, barberries or chopped unsulphured apricots. First soak the fruit in hot water or tea for about 10 minutes to plump it up a bit, then drain before stirring it into the couscous.

Swap the meat This dish gives a good second life to roast meats other than lamb – try it with chicken, beef or pork.

A straightforward onion bhajji, served blisteringly hot with a cooling raita on the side, is one of life’s great treats. Add a bit of shredded roast lamb (or chicken, or beef) and it makes an even more substantial starter or snack.

1 green chilli, membrane and seeds removed (for a milder version if preferred), finely chopped

Sift the flours, baking powder, ground spices and salt together into a large bowl. Add the onions, lamb, chopped coriander and chilli and toss until everything is well combined. (You want to add the bhajjis to the hot oil as soon as you’ve mixed them with the fizzy water so it’s important to heat the oil next.)

Heat about a 7cm depth of oil in a deep-fat fryer or large, deep pan (it shouldn’t come more than a third of the way up the pan) to 170°C, or until a cube of dry white bread dropped in turns golden in a minute.

Trickle the lemon juice and ghee or butter over the bhajji mixture and toss again. Slowly pour in the water, stirring gently as you go, until everything is coated in the batter, which should be a little thicker than double cream – thick enough to hold the bhajjis together, but not so thick that it will make them heavy.

To avoid crowding the pan, you will need to cook the bhajjis a few at a time. Carefully drop heaped teaspoonfuls or small dessertspoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil (don’t make them any bigger or they won’t cook through).

Fry for about 3 minutes until cooked through and golden brown, then carefully lift out the bhajjis with a skimmer or slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm while you cook the rest – let the oil come back up to temperature before adding more batter.

Serve the bhajjis right away with raita and/or your favourite chutney if you like.

Parsnip bhajjis Use shredded parsnips instead of, or in combination with, the onions.

Swap the meat You can use almost any roast meat in place of the lamb, and also make veggie ones using leftover roast roots, peas and beans, chopped spinach and greens.

This is a wonderfully quick but substantial salad. Use leftover cooked potatoes with the lamb if you have them, or cook them from scratch and dress in the mint sauce while they’re still warm, so they absorb as much flavour as possible.

Plenty of herbs, such as chervil, parsley, mint and/or dill, roughly chopped or torn (2–3 tablespoons of each)

If you’re cooking the potatoes from scratch, scrub them, halve any larger ones and bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes to the water, bring back to the boil and cook until tender, 10–15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, tip them into a bowl and toss in the mint sauce while still warm.

If you’re using cooked potatoes, just cut into bite-sized chunks and toss in the mint sauce.

Add the beans, peas, spring onions and herbs. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Toss again before serving.

No mint sauce? Instead, use a handful of freshly chopped mint and 1 tablespoon each wine or cider vinegar and olive oil, plus salt, pepper and a good pinch of sugar.

No spring onion? Use a little finely sliced red onion or finely diced shallot instead.

Swap the meat and sauce Try roast pork, potato and apple sauce; roast beef, potato and horseradish; or roast chicken with the potatoes dressed in thinned gravy. (Even the broken-up jellified gravy can be whisked into a simple vinaigrette to dress the salad.) Freshen with chopped herbs if you have some: parsley goes with any meat; lemon thyme is good with most things; mint is great with pork; tarragon or chervil with chicken; dill with beef.

This quick version of the slow-simmered classic is a great way to use leftover lamb and potatoes from a roast dinner. I cram in lots of carrots and onions to boost the flavour and make the whole thing more substantial. Leftover roast spuds are a tasty topping for any casserole, but if you don’t have enough simply use thinly sliced raw potatoes in the traditional way.

500ml hot lamb, chicken or veg stock (see Stocks, or a stock cube is fine), or a mix of stock and gravy

In a heavy-based casserole, heat the lamb fat or oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, bay leaf and thyme, plus a good pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring from time to time, until softened and the onions are just beginning to take on some colour, about 15 minutes.

Add the flour, stir well to work it into the veg, then slowly add the hot stock, or stock and gravy, stirring to combine it with the flour. Stir in the lamb and Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and plenty of pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes.

If you’re using roast potatoes, rough slice if they are large. Layer them over the top of the lamb and veg and brush with a little lamb fat, melted butter or oil. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes, until everything is piping hot and bubbling. If you like, put the hot pot under the grill for a final few minutes to crisp up the top.

If using raw, sliced potatoes, arrange them over the top of the lamb, brush with a little lamb fat or melted butter, cover with a lid or foil and cook for about 40 minutes. Remove the cover and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or so until the potatoes have crisped up.

Mushroomy version Add some sautéed thickly sliced mushrooms, to give the hotpot another dimension of flavour and texture.

Bulk up with pulses If you’re low on meat, bung in a tin of chickpeas, cannellini or other beans, or lentils, to add texture as well as substance; rinse and drain well before adding.

This is my leftovers riff on a lamb kebab, and you can certainly assemble it in kebab form, if you have some pittas handy (see tips and swaps, below). Chickpeas and other pulses take on spices beautifully. If you cook them like this – until they’re a little crisp – they’re good on their own as a snack, or tossed with roasted veg, or sprinkled over a salad.

Put the chickpeas into a large roasting tin. Trickle over the oil and sprinkle with the cumin, flaky salt, coriander and cayenne. Toss until well coated then spread the chickpeas out in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and slightly crisp.

Take out the roasting tin and toss the strips of lamb with the chickpeas. Return to the oven for a further 10–15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the lamb and chickpeas look crispy and appetising.

Meanwhile, for the raita, mix the yoghurt with the grated cucumber, garlic and salt.

Divide the spicy chickpeas and lamb between serving bowls. Spoon the raita to one side and scatter over the dill fronds or coriander, if using.

Serve with warmed flatbreads, if you like, to scoop everything up. A simple salad of finely shredded raw cabbage – dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper – is a good crunchy complement.

Kebab version For a portable, in-the-garden or on-the-go kebab version, you’ll need pittas and the cabbage salad. Warm up one pitta per person in the oven or under the grill and slice open. Pile in a good handful of the dressed cabbage and a generous amount of the spiced lamb and chickpeas, then spoon over the raita. Add a dash of chilli sauce or chilli oil, and/or torn coriander, if you like. You could also add hummus (made saucy by adding a little water and lemon juice).

My Mum’s shepherd’s pie was the dish that really made me fall in love with leftovers. As everyone knows, it’s best made with cold, cooked roast lamb rather than raw minced lamb. You can put the cooked lamb through a mincer, but it’s easier, I think, to pulse it in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Frying before pie-ing is vital to bring out even more meaty, lamby flavours.

Ideally, you want about a kilo of leftover lamb. If you don’t have that much, bump up the veg so the overall weight works out about the same – you can add some leftover roast carrots or spuds, cut into chunks, or a handful of peas or beans if you like too.

Any meat juices or gravy saved from the joint, and/or concentrated lamb stock (see Stocks), or a stock cube

1.2kg floury potatoes, such as Desiree or King Edward, peeled and cut into even-sized chunks

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan or wide saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add half of the meat and brown it well all over, then transfer to another dish. Repeat with the rest. (If your pan is small, you might need to do this in 3 batches.)

Lower the heat a bit and add the remaining oil to the empty pan. Add the onions with a good pinch of salt and sweat until softened and turning golden, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and garlic, and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Tip the meat back into the pan, adding any extra veg (except peas and beans), the juices, gravy or stock, wine, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and some salt and pepper. Simmer gently for a few minutes, adding a little water if the mixture looks too thick or dry.

Taste for seasoning and add more ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and/or pepper, if you like. Simmer gently for 20–30 minutes, until the flavours are well blended.

Meanwhile, for the mash, add the potatoes to a pan of well-salted water, bring to the boil and cook until tender. Drain in a colander and leave to steam for several minutes.

Heat the milk and butter in the pan almost to simmering. Take off the heat, add the potatoes and mash, adding a little more warm milk if needed, but don’t make the mash too soft. Season with salt and pepper.

If using peas and beans, add them to the meat now. Taste and adjust the seasoning again if necessary, and add a splash more liquid if it seems a bit thick. Pile into an ovenproof dish, with room for the mash to go on top.

Spoon and spread the mash over the meat, covering it completely. Use a fork to rough up the surface.

Stand the pie dish on an oven tray and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the mash is browned and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges.

Cheesy topping Sprinkle some grated Cheddar or other hard cheese over the mash before the dish goes into the oven. You can stir a bit into the mash too if you like – this works particularly well with cottage pie.

Cheaty version Cut the leftover lamb into strips and season well. Fry until crispy at the edges, remove from the pan and keep warm. Deglaze the pan with a bit of red wine and stock, then add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Serve the highly seasoned lamb on creamy mash, with the pan juices poured over, and a squirt of ketchup if you must.

This take-away classic is very easy to make at home with a few handfuls of leftover roast beef – a little really does go a long way when you ramp up the seasoning and spices.

Few crisp lettuce leaves, such as romaine (or even the much-maligned iceberg), finely shredded

First make the sauce. Put all the ingredients into a small pan, simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened, then set aside.

Cut the beef into strips, 3–4mm thick. Heat a 2–3cm depth of oil in a wok or a deep saucepan – the fat will bubble up when you add the beef, so don’t use a shallow pan. Heat the oil to 180°C, or until a cube of dry white bread dropped in turns golden in just under a minute.

Sift the cornflour and five-spice powder, if using, onto a plate. Toss the beef strips in the cornflour until well coated on all sides.

Fry the beef in a couple of batches to avoid crowding the pan. Lower into the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, which should only take a couple of minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain. Let the oil come back up to temperature before adding the second batch of meat to the pan.

Pile the salad and crispy beef onto individual plates. Trickle on the sauce and add a scattering of sesame seeds. Garnish with coriander if you have some to hand.

Spicy beef and peppers Add a handful of finely sliced red or yellow peppers, if you have them.

Noodly version Serve the salad over noodles with the sauce trickled over and finished with the sesame seeds and coriander.

Spicy meat garnish You can use strips of roast beef – or pork, chicken or duck – fried like this in a spicy cornflour coating, to finish all manner of salads or soups.

I sometimes use black rice noodles in this dish as they look particularly dramatic against the bright red peppers and vibrant green vegetables, but you can use any noodles you like – egg, buckwheat, even instant rice vermicelli noodles work well.

1–2 red or green chilli(es), halved, membrane and seeds removed (for a milder version if preferred), thinly sliced

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

In a small pan, dry-fry the nuts over a medium heat until lightly toasted, then tip onto a plate to stop them cooking further.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for a minute, stirring.

Add the spring onions, red pepper, courgette, mangetout, beans, and/or peas and sauté for a minute.

Now add the beef, spinach and noodles. Toss to combine, then add the soy and fish sauces. Cook, tossing and turning everything, just until the beef is heated through. Stir in the coriander, mint and toasted nuts.

Finish with a little sesame oil. Serve straight away, with lime wedges and extra soy sauce on the table for everyone to help themselves.

Throw in salad leaves If you have some slightly limp lettuce leaves, shred them and add with, or instead of, the spinach. You can even use previously dressed leaves here – just blot off any excess dressing with kitchen paper first.

Swap the meat Leftover roast pork, chicken, duck or rabbit can be used with equal success.

This is one of the simplest soups I know, and also one of the most delicious. It makes excellent use of the stock left over from boiling a ham and any remaining bits of the beast itself. The stock can be quite salty so check before adding it and dilute it with a bit of water if you need to.

About 1 litre ham stock, left over from boiling a ham, or chicken or veg stock (see Stocks)

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. When it stops foaming, add the onion, bay leaf and a pinch of salt and sauté gently, stirring from time to time, until the onion is very soft, about 15 minutes.

If you’re using the wine, add it now and let it simmer away until it has almost completely evaporated. (I don’t always do this – it’s good without – but I do if I have a glass to hand, or actually in my hand, as it adds a rather nice edge to the broth.)

Next, add the stock and bring it to a simmer. Add the peas and cook until tender; check after 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Allow the soup to cool slightly, then blitz in a food processor or with a stick blender until smooth. Return to the pan, add most of the ham and warm through. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more pepper and a little extra salt if necessary.

Serve in warmed bowls, with the extra bits of ham scattered over the top. Just before you bring the soup to the table, dot with the crème fraîche and/or rapeseed oil if you like and scatter over the chervil or parsley.

Ham, pea and pasta broth Instead of puréeing the soup, leave as a clear broth and add some small pasta, such as orzo or ditalini, with the peas. You could add a diced carrot and a diced celery stick when you sauté the onions too. Stir in a few tablespoons of chopped parsley and a couple of shredded mint leaves right at the end.

With its slightly old-fashioned but nonetheless delicious cream and mustard sauce, this is a rather elegant ending for leftover bits of roast pork. The rosemary is particularly good here – in fact, added with a light hand, it makes an excellent alternative to sage in many pork dishes.

2 leeks, white and very pale green part only, thinly sliced (keep the rest for stock)

Heat the butter in a medium, heavy-based casserole over a medium-low heat. When it stops foaming, add the leeks, carrot, celery, bay leaf, one of the rosemary sprigs and a pinch of salt. Sauté gently, stirring from time, until everything is softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Pour in the wine, sherry or vermouth and simmer until it’s almost completely evaporated, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer, add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. Take out and discard the rosemary sprig and bay leaf.

Whisk the cream or crème fraîche and mustard together in a small bowl and then stir in a ladleful of the hot cooking liquid. Return the pan to a very gentle heat and slowly pour the cream mixture back in, stirring as you go. Don’t let it boil or the sauce may curdle.

Strip the rosemary leaves from the other sprig and chop them finely – you don’t need more than ½ teaspoon as the flavour is quite strong. Stir the chopped rosemary into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy pork and pasta If you chop up the pork into smaller pieces, this makes a very good sauce for pasta.

Swap the meat This recipe also works brilliantly with chicken and rabbit. Add a handful of peas towards the end of cooking too, if you like.