Festive Finger Food: How to Utilize Christmas Leftovers into New Year’s Eve Appetizers
What kinds of bite-sized appetizers can I prepare for New Year’s Eve using my Christmas leftovers that will still impress guests?
Finger food needn't be elaborate, so New Year's presents a perfect chance to use up what's left. The key rule is to keep things to just one bite—no one wants to manoeuvre a fork. Guests are looking for a big hug of comfort food with a luxurious touch.
If you have a bit of smoked salmon left, layer it on mini pancakes and crown it with lumpfish caviar. Mini fishcakes are also an ideal choice: If you have remaining fish or flaked salmon, mix it through creamy potatoes, blend with dill, citrus, and fried leeks, then coat in panko and fry until golden.
You could also have a ball with Spanish croquettes. Prepare the white sauce up to days ahead, then use leftover ham, chicken, or foraged fungi for the filling. Blitz stale bread into crumbs to cover them, then fry. Savoury pastry fillings are another natural home for those breadcrumbs, or use them as a coating for bite-sized chicken. For flavour, all you need a bit of citrus zest and aromatic herbs, and they'll taste so much more. Incidentally, buttery pastries make excellent crumbs, too.
One favourite thing at this time of year is a leftovers sandwich, and that doesn't have to stop after Boxing Day. Get some holiday meats in an airtight container and freeze. While you're at it, reserve some cranberry sauce and honey ham glaze in the refrigerator. When needed, thaw the meat, then place it in a preheated oven with the saved glaze for a short time. Let it cool and cut into thin pieces, then arrange on top of some sourdough and start building sandwiches with lots of tangy sauce. Cut into small squares for a winner.
Leftover turkey, meanwhile, could be turned into a spicy, crisp salad. There’s always a bit of dark meat left over, and it's ideal for something punchy. Pull the meat, then crisp it slowly in a pan, and mix with leftover cranberry sauce thinned with lime juice, a spoonful of soy sauce and a little chilli oil. Garnish with fresh herbs and some sliced spring onion, and serve in little gem leaves.
Transforming Remaining Veg
Veg, meanwhile, can be scrubbed up and ready to party with a big batch of fried potato cake. Combine all your remaining vegetables with herbs, then add salt and pepper and add flour. Stamp out portions to roughly the size of blinis, then keep in the icebox. Reheat in a preheated oven for a short time and finish with your choice of topping—perhaps sliced beef and grated horseradish. A good tip, though: save a stash for a late breakfast the next day.
