PENULTIMATE LEFTOVER SANDWICH

There is nothing second to last about this sandwich, I just paused when I was typing "ultimate sandwich" and thought to myself, "I do not think that word means what I think it means." My version of "ultimate" is definitely a tertiary definition, meaning the peak or the best, so I wanted to leave some room for improvement and left it at penultimate. Plus I so rarely get to use that word. It is awesome. Penultimate.

The left over sandwich is a delight of the holiday season, sometimes more looked forward to than the meal itself. A perfect symphony of wintry gluttony! The trick is balancing out the savory and sweet, and the mushy with the crunch. Nothing worse than a mouth full of baby food! So in the theme of my Holiday Left Over Challenge, I bring you my favorite left over sandwich. I included my two favorite sides that make the most of this bread punctuated joy: Maple Bacon Yam Budino and Cranberry Chutney with Garam Marsala. Both are twists on the old favorites. Enjoy!

The Left-Over Sandwich

Here's my favorite combination:

• Turkey, obviously.
• Yams for some sweetness and moisture
• Gravy for the salt
• Cranberry Chutney, for heat and a smack of sour
• Arugula for the crunch and pepper

Ingredients:

2 slices brioche, toasted

3 oz roasted turkey meat

2 tablespoons yam budino (or any yam/sweet potato dish)

2 tablespoons cranberry chutney (or cranberry sauce)

2 tablespoons gravy, reheated

Handful of arugula, lightly dressed in olive oil

Assemble and destroy!

Cranberry Chutney with Garam Marsala

2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen cranberries are ok too)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 serrano of two thai chiles, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon garam marsala powder

1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

Combine the sugar and vinegar in a medium sized saucepan, gently simmering to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cranberries and continue to simmer until the cranberries burst and soften, about 15 minutes. Add the chiles, ginger, garam marsala, and orange zest and continue simmering until thick and syrupy in texture. Allow to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Bacon Maple Yam Budino

For Four

Ingredients

3/4 pound yams

1/2 pound celery root

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking pan

1/3 cup chopped bacon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 scant cup milk

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup freshly grated gruyere

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Peel, quarter, and rub the celery root with olive oil, and puncture the yams with a fork, rubbing them with olive oil as well. Sprinkle with salt and roast until soft in the middle, about 30-45 minutes.

Peel the skin off of the yams and celery root (the celery root will develop a a crunchy skin) and force through a ricer or food mill. Place them in a small pot over low heat. Separately, brown the butter and add it to the pureed mixture. Render the fat off of the bacon and add it to the mix, as well as the maple syrup and nutmeg. Using a wooden spoon, stir blend. Salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring until slightly dry. Add the flour to the milk and stir to dissolve some of the flour. Add the milk mixture to the pot and continue mixing until thick. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Add the egg yolks and the cheese, stirring to combine. Spoon into lightly buttered dishes (I use personal souffle dishes). Bake until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. If you want a little crunch on top, add some buttered bread crumbs and broil for one minute, or until browned. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.