Festive Leftovers, Sierra Leone style
Rooted in a shared passion for Sierra Leone ingredients, we've teamed up with renowned Sierra Leone chef and author of Sweet Salone cookbook, Maria Bradford, to share three delicious ways to utilise those Christmas leftovers, Sierra Leone style.
1. Goose Fat Chips
If mum's Xmas dinner has left your fridge looking like a supermarket, Maria is here to help you use up those leftover veggies and roast spuds with her Afro-fusion twist on Goose Fat Chips. Maria uses plantain for this recipe, which is grown by small communities in Sierra Leone, just like the ones that cultivate our cola nuts.
ROASTED GARLIC MAYO
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 120g (4¼oz) good-quality mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
- Salt
THE CHIPS
- All your leftover roast veggies e.g. potatoes, parsnips, carrots
- 2 tbsp goose fat
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- sea salt flakes
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/400ºF/gas mark 6.
- Begin with the roast garlic mayo. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil and roast until the flesh is soft, about 30 minutes (you can roast the veg chips at the same time (see below).
- Allow to cool, then remove the garlic flesh using a teaspoon (discard the skins). Mash the flesh and mix it into the mayonnaise, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt.
- If you’re not using the mayo right away, cover and chill in the fridge until needed.
- For the chips, take your leftover roast veggies and add the goose fat, garlic salt, cayenne pepper and paprika to the chips and mix well.
- Spread the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the hot oven for 25–30 minutes, turning once.
- Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve warm with the roasted garlic mayo on the side.
2. Cheese & Beetroot Salad
Use up your leftover Christmas cheese, get some greens in, and bring the culture of our cola farmers straight to your kitchen with this Beetroot and Goats’ Cheese Salad. Maria uses West African egusi seeds to take this dish to new levels.
THE BEETROOT SALAD
- 200g - 240g Leftover Cheese (goat’s cheese works particularly well)
- small handful of thyme, leaves picked
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 500g uncooked baby beetroot, scrubbed and trimmed
- 1 bay leaf
- 50g lamb’s lettuce
- 50g baby salad leaves
- 1 bunch mint leaves
-
salt and freshly ground pepper
THE GRANOLA
- 50g fonio
- 3 tbsp egusi
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 70g walnuts, roughly chopped
- pinch of salt
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp water
-
drizzle of olive oil
THE DRESSING
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ garlic clove, finely sliced
- ½ tsp chopped tarragon
- 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 4–5 tbsp olive oil
-
lemon juice to taste
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 150ºC/ 130ºC fan /300ºF/ gas mark 2.
- Cut each cheese in half horizontally and put in a bowl.
- Finely chop enough thyme to give 2 teaspoons and stir it into the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Pour this marinade over the goat’s cheese and set aside.
- For the granola, combine the fonio, egusi, sesame seeds and walnuts in a bowl with the salt.
- Heat the honey and measured water in a small pan until the honey is loosened then pour it over the ingredients in the bowl along with a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well, then spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 20–25 minutes.
- Leave to cool and set aside.
- Spread the beetroot out onto a baking sheet lined with foil, drizzle olive oil, add a splash of water, the remaining thyme leaves and the bay leaf. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Wrap in foil, seal and cook for 1–2 hours or until tender. Check the tenderness with the point of a cutlery knife. When the beetroot is tender, allow to cool a little then rub off the skins and cut into bite-size pieces.
- To make the dressing, mix the mustard, garlic, tarragon and vinegar together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding lemon juice to balance the flavours.
- Marinate the beetroot in half of the dressing for up to 24 hours before serving.
- When you are ready to serve, heat the grill (broiler) to its highest setting.
- Place the goat’s cheese on a baking sheet, season with pepper and grill (broil) until hot.
- To serve, scatter the lamb’s lettuce and baby leaves over the plates. Arrange 2 pieces of cheese on each plate and spoon over the beetroot and granola where there are gaps.
- Finish with the mint leaves and drizzle over the remaining dressing.
3. Lemony Leone Star Mocktail
Post-Christmas headache that may (or may not) be alcohol-induced? Maria's fruity cocktail is the perfect pick-me-up to wash away those post-Christmas blues.
We've suggest swapping the booze for a dash of Lemony for something a little more refreshing 🍋
- 30ml Pineapple and Star Fruit Juice (see below)
- 30ml gin
- 15ml lime juice
- 20–30ml Honey Syrup (see below)
- chilled prosecco or Lemony lemonade, to top up
- star fruit slice, to garnish
PINEAPPLE AND STAR FRUIT JUICE
- ½ pineapple, peeled and chopped
-
2 star fruit, chopped
Put the pineapple and star fruit in a juicer and process to a juice following the manufacturer’s instructions. Pour into a large jug and set aside in the fridge until needed (use within 2 days).
HONEY SYRUP
- 85g honey
- 60ml water
Combine the ingredients in a small pan over medium heat and simmer, stirring,
for 5 minutes. Cool completely before use. The honey syrup will keep for up to
1 month stored in a clean airtight container in the fridge.
METHOD
- Pour the Pineapple and Star Fruit Juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker with the gin, lime juice and Honey Syrup.
- Shake and pour into a coupe glass.
- Top with Lemony, garnish with star fruit and serve.
