Turkey time! But once you've enjoyed the whole bird, what do you do with the left-overs? Pauline D Loh suggests you apply some lateral thinking and get away from the traditional Boxing Day sandwiches.

The problem with turkeys is their size. The smallest bird in the market still weighs in at under 6 kg, the last time I checked. Once you've enjoyed the bird at Christmas, you really don't look want to chew on a week's worth of turkey sandwiches.

Look at it differently and make the leftovers the highlights.

How about turkey paella, made with turkey stock and diced up meat? Or, a simple omelet topped with a savory portion of shredded turkey?

My favorite is the soup made from the stripped turkey carcass. The best flavor, as we all know, is hidden in the bones. A pot of turkey stock may be the best Christmas present for the home chef yet.

Guard the bones at dinner and whisk them off to the kitchen before anyone can do any more damage. Strip off any meat left and set aside.

Chop up the bones so they fit easily into the largest stockpot in your pantry. Cut up some carrots, add an onion and you are ready to start the stock.

You want to simmer the stock to extract every little molecule of flavor. Boiling it will simply reduce the stock without giving it the richness it promises to deliver.

So, bring it to a boil, leave it on the lowest simmer and go read a book, or watch some television. Come back an hour later and give it a stir, and a taste. Actually, by now, the rich turkey broth would be giving out the most delicious aroma.

If you want a very clear broth, strain the stock, and discard all the bones and vegetables. Strain it again through a fine sieve and chill well.

Any turkey fat will coagulate and you can easily skim it off, leaving a nice, rich clear jellied stock.

Use the stock in your paella, or serve up a lovely turkey broth with some simple vegetables added.

If you have any left-over turkey meat, you can use it for lots of snacks that can fill a void in the middle of the day or at night. Smother the shredded meat in a spicy garlic mayonnaise and make a turkey sandwich, add some cubed cooked potatoes and the shredded meat turns into a pie filling.

Or, make an omelet and top it with a generous covering of well-seasoned meat. Add a handful of greens or a couple of ripe tomatoes, and that's a good meal already!

You may contact the writer at paulined@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 12/25/2011 page14)