Thirteen years ago, just before Christmas, I walked into the kitchen of a small pub in the English countryside to start a new job. A few days in, I noticed something I found unthinkable: the chef was ordering whole turkeys but only using the breast and thighs. The rest of the bird was destined for the bin.
Growing up in a self-sufficient household where almost nothing went to waste, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. A lot of meat is attached to the carcass and the wings of the turkey. Even where the meat’s been stripped well, the bones make an excellent stock. But there was no interest in using any of it.
I decided to act. I grabbed a few black bin bags, filled them with turkey wings and carcasses, and stuffed them into the staff freezer. We were on a turkey diet for months, but I couldn’t allow so much meat to go into the bin.
That was quite some years ago. Today, I’m happy to say that trimming waste and turkey carcasses can be used in smart ways which won’t require anyone to be on a turkey diet. In fact, reducing your trimming waste can be easy, operationally efficient and cost-saving as well.
As Christmas is a time of abundance and sharing, I wanted to share my top 5 tips to repurpose common Christmas trimming waste - including turkey trimmings. Let’s get into it.
1. Turkey
Turkey isn’t the cheapest meat to buy, so it makes sense to use every bit of it. If you are lucky to have turkey carcasses or bones, roast them all and use them for jus to be used as part of the Christmas dinner.
Turkey skin can be used in the same ways as chicken skin - fry until crispy, blitz and use as a bit of crunch on the turkey you are serving or as part of a small canapé.
Looking for something fancier? Blend the fried skins, mix with butter and serve as a delicious fried turkey skin butter.
And if turkey isn’t in your kitchen this Christmas, you can apply the same techniques to any other poultry as well.
2. Potatoes
Potato peels contain flavour. In fact, most of the flavour (and nutritional value) is in the peels. The best thing you can do is to leave the peels on, which is also the most operationally efficient thing to do. Simply wash the potatoes, skip the peeling and proceed as usual.
However, if you really insist on peeling the potatoes, you can always deep-fry all the peels, season them well and blitz them lightly to use as crumble either on the roasted potatoes or any dish where a bit of extra crunch is needed.
3. Brussels Sprouts
Most of a Brussels sprout will always be trimmed, but that doesn’t mean that the trimming has to be wasted. Check for any black or ugly bits and discard into the compost; everything else can be used in your stock, where the Brussels sprouts work really well.
An alternative is to grind the sprout trimmings - or blend and mix into potato rosti or hashbrowns for a seasonal twist on your classics.
4. Root Vegetables
A lot of root vegetables are used for Christmas dinners and a lot of them will be peeled, although it’s not necessary. The peels of the root vegetables contain a lot of flavour and nutrition as well, so the best and easiest option is always to leave the peels on.
If you prefer to have your vegetables peeled, you can always use the peels in stock, but if you have large amounts of peels your best bet is to turn them into a vegetable reduction, which can be used for veggie Christmas dinners. Simply dry-roast all the peels and scraps, boil them in plenty of water, strain them off and reduce the stock down until you have a thick syrup full of flavour - I like to call it ‘liquid gold’.
5. Yorkshire Puddings
If your leftover Yorkshire puddings aren’t grabbed by the staff at the end of the shift, then make sure you collect them in the fridge for later use. Leftover Yorkshire puddings make for a lovely bread-and-butter pudding. Sprinkle in some cranberries, a dash of rum or whisky and you have a great dessert that helps you reduce your waste as well.
Conclusion
While Christmas is a busy period for us all, I believe everyone can find a few smart ways to avoid excessive waste in our kitchens. These tips work best if you build them into your menu, so you don’t need to do any spontaneous upcycling on the go, which can be time-consuming. Test out a couple of ideas, see what works for you and keep your focus on what makes the most impact.
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