MAKE CHRISTMAS DINNER GO FURTHER

made with M&S mincemeat and shop-bought pastry, therefore, comes in at £3.60 (including 50p worth of brandy), or 15p each. And you won’t just be saving money – you’ll be serving up a much better pie too.

STRIP THE BIRD ON

BOXING DAY AND DIVIDE IT UP

Large chunks for slicing on cold platters and for salads and sandwiches over the next couple of days

Smaller bits for curries and pies, tiny pieces for broths and potted meat

Put bones, scraps, gristle, along with carrot peelings, onion skins and celery trimmings, into the stock pot with bay leaves, parsley stalks and a few crushed peppercorns. Cover with water and simmer for a couple of hours, then cool and strain

Skin can be turned into turkey (or chicken) scratchings: lay them on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper, season and bake for 15-25 minutes at 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4 until golden and sizzling. Cool and crumble over salads or eat with drinks.

Leftovers that you aren’t going to eat straight away can be frozen for three to six months to use in cooked dishes.

Use the liver to make a pot of creamy pâté: trim it (removing any greenish patches) and cook gently in 1 tbsp butter until no longer red, then add 2 tsp brandy and allow to cool in the pan. Whizz in a mini food processor with a small clove of garlic, ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves and 100g soft butter, plus salt and pepper. Turn into a ramekin and chill. Top with a layer of clarified butter and chill again. It’ll keep for 3-4 days, or a month in the freezer.

Make a hash of the leftover veg and roast potatoes. Chop roughly, then fry in dripping or butter, pressing down to make a flat cake. When well browned, flip and cook on the other side. Make indentations in the top and break an egg into each one, cover and cook gently until the eggs are done.