What Your Favourite Chefs Put in Their Boxing Day Sandwiches

It's Boxing Day, which means you're probably emerging bleary-eyed from your childhood bedroom with a hangover induced by a lethal mix of 9.30 AM Prosecco, crappy chocolate, Stilton, and third helpings of roasties. Don't even try to count how many pigs in blankets you ate yesterday.

Only one thing can soothe your head and stomach on this day: a Boxing Day leftovers sandwich.

Up and down the country, turkey, cranberry sauce, and all manner of soggy veg will be crammed into two day-old bread (you haven't been to the shops since that mad dash on Christmas Eve) and eaten among the Ferrero Roche wrappers and discarded slices of Christmas cake.

But rather than squashing whatever's in the fridge between two slices of claggy white loaf, take inspiration from the best in the culinary business. We asked some of our favourite chefs how they'll be using up their leftovers this festive season.

Meera Sodha, food writer and author of Fresh India. "I'd go for a turkey kati roll on Boxing Day. The kati roll is the best thing to have come out of Kolkata since Mother Teresa. I queued endless minutes for my first one at 'Hot Kati Roll' on Park Street in 30 degree heat, swearing it could not possibly be worth it. After eating it I joined the back of the queue again. It was that good.

The roll is essentially a paratha which is egg; fried and smothered in green chili chutney and traditionally wrapped around spiced sweet onions, peppers, and chicken, paneer, or mutton. But for Boxing Day, I'd use turkey and you could swap out the peppers for shredded Brussels sprouts or whatever greens you might have lying around.

Altogether, it is just the sort of thing to awaken the senses right after Christmas and make you feel glad to be alive."

Neil Rankin, head chef at barbecue restaurant Temper in London's Soho "It's got to be a buffalo Christmas leftovers sandwich. You can use leftover turkey meat, sausages, and anything else really. Deep fry and serve with buffalo sauce between two flat slabs of white bread!"

Edson Diaz-Fuentes, Mexican chef formerly of East London's Santo Remedio. "Turkey tacos with Ancho salsa roja, crispy Cheddar cheese (called chicharron de queso in Mexico) and pickled red onions.

They're quick and super easy to prepare with turkey leftovers, roasted onions, tomatoes, and garlic, preferably with Jalapeño chillies, but it could be Scotch Bonnet. It could also work with any dry Mexican chilies, especially Ancho or Pasilla. All roasted, then blended with a bit of water, salt to taste, and a splash of lime juice.

For the crispy Cheddar cheese, you basically melt cheddar on a non-stick sauce pan until it crisps. It adds saltiness and texture to the taco. Last but not least: the red pickled onions."

Kaori Simpson, chef owner of Japanese restaurant Harajuku Kitchen in Edinburgh. "My choice for Boxing Day is a tofu burger with leftover cranberry sauce and rice bun.

Since I became more health conscious, I try to eat less carbohydrates and gluten, so I have been missing proper hamburgers. So, I tried this version, replacing the bun with rice. This is very popular in Japan where a lot of us can't digest wheat too well.

Cooked rice is moulded into two halves of the 'bun' and tofu is fried so it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—it really melts in your mouth. Make a sauce mix from soy sauce, homemade cranberry sauce, and Japanese mayo before layering up your burger with the tofu, cooked shallots. and Shimeji mushrooms. Add some lettuce leaves and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for the final touch.

It is the perfect antidote to a big Christmas dinner!"

Miisa Mink, one of the owners of Nordic Bakery in London. "Christmas Day indulgences leave me craving the clean, wholesome taste of rye so I buy mine on Christmas Eve and it's still good on Boxing Day. I like to keep fillings simple so that sandwiches are easy and quick to prepare—no more than two or three ingredients. The nutty, dense chewiness of rye bread works enticingly well with strong flavours.

It's a natural partner for smoked fish and rich pâtés, and can carry a third dimension of lemon juice, dill, or pickled cucumbers.

My failsafe sandwich for Boxing Day is dark rye, topped with a soft, slightly acidic cheese such as Brie with lingonberry jam. It's a great way to use up cheese that has been leftover from my Christmas cheese board and I always have lots of lingonberries for cooking at this time of year.

To assemble, I take the Brie out of the fridge an hour before serving and spread onto thinly cut dark rye, then top with a spoonful of a really good lingonberry jam. I use one that has 80 percent fruit for a really tangy, mouth-tingling taste. Great served filled or if we're entertaining, I'll serve them open for a Scandinavian-style smörgasbord."

All photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell.

This article originally appeared on MUNCHIES in December 2016.