My brother Kenneth, who has state-of-the-art demo units and works with me on all my demos, is a talented cook. He makes a great satay sauce and when he cooks it my contribution is limited. I am only allowed to chop the onions, garlic and peppers! That suits me fine, as he is superb with Asian tastes. This meal is a nice change after the traditional fare of Christmas. The sauce will keep in the fridge for four or five days and I always use Thai Gold coconut milk. It is the best.

This turkey and ham pie is a great winter comfort dish. You can cook it any time with chicken. Instead of the puff pastry you could use bread crumbs or, if you require a gluten-free option, use mashed potatoes. The sauce takes a little bit of time to make, so you might like to make it ahead of time.

Happy cooking,

Neven

Recipes

Turkey & ham pie with puff pastry. \ Claire Nash

Turkey & ham pie with puff pastry

Serves six to eight

75g (3oz) butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 celery sticks, diced

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

50g (2oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

350ml (12fl oz) chicken or turkey stock or use up any leftover gravy

120ml (4fl oz) dry white wine

2 small leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced

100g (4oz) button mushrooms, halved

150ml (¼ pint) cream

2tsp Dijon mustard

450g (1lb) leftover cooked turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces

275g (10oz) leftover cooked ham, cut into bite-sized pieces

500g (18oz) all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen

Egg wash, to glaze (1 egg or yolk beaten with a splash of milk)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Heat 25g (1oz) of the butter in a large sauté pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and thyme and sauté for six to eight minutes, until tender but not coloured.
  • 2 Add the rest of the butter and allow to melt, then stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Whisk in the stock and/or gravy and the wine until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
  • 3 Bring to a simmer, then add the leeks and mushrooms and cook for three to four minutes, until tender. Stir in the cream and mustard and cook for another minute or two, stirring.
  • 4 Season to taste, then remove from the heat and fold in the turkey and ham.
  • 5 Transfer to a 25cm (10in) pie dish (or use a large ovenproof dish if you don’t have one). Leave to cool.
  • 6 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
  • 7 Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it’s the thickness of a €1 coin and large enough to easily cover the pie dish. Brush the edge of the pie dish with egg wash, then cover with the pastry. Use a sharp knife to trim down as necessary and use a fork to lightly press around the edge to crimp it.
  • 8 Stamp or cut out leaves from the pastry leftovers and use to decorate the pie if liked. Brush with more egg wash and make a small hole in the middle to allow the steam to escape.
  • 9 Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through and golden brown. Serve straight to the table.
  • Turkey satay vegetables noodles

    Serves four

    275g (10oz) fine egg noodles

    1tbsp sunflower oil

    1 large red pepper, halved, seeded and sliced

    225g (8oz) fine green beans, trimmed and halved

    175g (6oz) baby corn, halved lengthways

    2 garlic cloves, crushed

    400g (14oz) can coconut milk

    350g (12oz) leftover cooked turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

    100g (4oz) crunchy peanut butter

    2 tbsp dark soy sauce

    2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

    1 tsp light muscovado sugar

    Juice of one lime

    50g (2oz) cashew nuts, toasted and chopped

    Handful fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

  • 1 Place the fine egg noodles in a pan of boiling water and cook for three to four minutes until tender or according to the packet instructions.
  • 2 Heat a wok until very hot. Add the oil and swirl it around the edges, then tip in the red pepper, green beans, baby corn and garlic and stir-fry for three to four minutes until the vegetables are tender, sprinkling over a tablespoon of water if the mixture is getting too dry.
  • 3 Drain the noodles and add to the wok with the coconut milk, turkey, peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli sauce, sugar and lime juice. Stir-fry for another two to three minutes until all the ingredients are piping hot.
  • 4 To serve, divide among warmed serving bowls and scatter over the cashew nuts and coriander.