Ribble Valley chef Paul Heathcote, who owns The Longridge Restaurant, The Olive Press, Grado, London Road Restaurant and Simply Heathcotes, shares his best ‘trimmings’ recipes.

Savoy Cabbage with Bacon, Onion & Chestnuts

Makes about six portions.

2 rashers streaky bacon
1 small Savoy cabbage
20g butter
Half onion thinly sliced
12 chestnuts pre-cooked, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly milled pepper.

CUT the bacon into 1cm strips and fry till crisp in a little oil and reserve to one side.

Shred the cabbage, put in a pan with the butter, onions and a good dash of water.

Cover with lid, occasionally adding another dash of water, for about 5 minutes until soft.

Add the bacon and chestnuts, remove the lid and boil until the water has evaporated and only the butter remains. Season with sea salt & freshly milled pepper

Rum Nog Sauce

Makes six.

250ml milk
120ml cream
1 vanilla pod split both ways and the seeds scraped out
4 egg yolks
50g sugar
3 teaspoons cornflour dissolved in a little water
2 measures of dark rum.

BRING the milk and cream to the boil and add the vanilla pod and seeds. Remove from the heat.

Place the yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk.

Pour a dash of the hot liquid on top and continue to whisk.

Pour the egg mix into the remaining liquid and add the dissolved cornflour and rum and cook on a low heat whisking all the time until the nog sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Be careful to make sure that the sauce does not burn or catch on the bottom of the pan.

Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan with a lid or clingfilm.

Spiced cranberry sauce

Makes 8-10 but you will need it for sandwiches the next day. You may only want to do half the recipe and jar up the remaining sauce for the turkey.

Finely grated zest and juice of one orange
150ml red wine
1cm piece of fresh ginger
Small piece of cinnamon stick
450g cranberries
100g sugar.

PLACE the juice zest and red wine in a pan and bring to the boil.

Meanwhile peel the ginger and finely grate, add to the red wine and orange along with cinnamon stick.

Add the cranberries and sugar and simmer until soft.

Remove the cinnamon stick and allow to cool.

Port Gravy

Makes 8-10.

Turkey bones
1 onion
100g sliced button mushrooms
75g blackcurrants
250ml port
Zest of ½ orange
450ml chicken stock
Heaped dessertspoon of arrowroot or corn flour dissolved in a little water
¼ teaspoon gravy browning (optional).

TAKE the remaining bones from the turkey; chop up as small as possible, place in a roasting tray and cook until golden brown by occasionally turning them in the tray.

When golden brown drain off the fat.

Add the onion, mushrooms and blackcurrants and cook for a further 5 minutes or so until lightly coloured.

Remove from the oven and whilst hot add the port and orange zest and scrape off the bottom of the tray with a wooden spoon.

Place everything into a large pan and add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes skimming the surface for fat every 5 minutes.

Pass all ingredients through a sieve into another pan, bring to the boil, skim any remaining fat and add the dissolved arrowroot or corn flour and a touch of gravy browning.