Thesauces

Two classics that will heighten your festive dining and a get-ahead veggie gravy that complements the turkey perfectly.

Mulled Cranberry Sauce

So easy to make and much more flavoursome than jarred varieties. Hands-on time 5min, plus cooling. Cooking time about 15min. Serves 8 125ml port

500g cranberries, fresh or frozen 100-125g caster sugar, to taste 1tsp ground cinnamon

¼tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg 100ml apple juice, or use water

1 Bring port to boil in medium pan; simmer for 3min to reduce. Add remaining ingredients (start with 100g sugar). Bubble for 10min, until most berries have burst. Taste; add remaining sugar, if needed.

2 Empty into heatproof serving bowl; cool – the sauce will thicken on cooling.

3 Chill until needed. Serve.

PER SERVING 82cals, <1g protein, <1g fat (0g saturates), 17g carbs (17g total sugars), 3g fibre GET AHEAD Make, cool, cover and chill up to 3 days ahead. Alternatively, freeze in a sealed container for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost in fridge (if frozen). Croissant Bread Sauce

Indulgent, fun to make, too good to miss out on. This works best with day-old, stale croissants. Hands-on time 20min, plus infusing. Cooking time about 15min. Serves 8 ½ onion

 6 whole cloves

 800ml semi-skimmed milk

 1 bay leaf

 2 thyme sprigs, plus extra leaves to garnish

6 stale croissants, about 260g, roughly chopped

1 Stud onion with cloves; put in a medium pan. Pour in milk; add bay leaf and thyme. Bring to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 30min.

2 Scoop out onion and bay leaf (leave thyme). Return pan to low heat, add croissants; stir to amalgamate. Cook, stirring, until mushy and combined. Remove thyme; whizz until smooth (if you like) with a stick blender or blender. Return to pan and check seasoning.

3 Reheat sauce, if needed; transfer to

a warm bowl. Serve garnished with thyme.

PER SERVING 176cals, 7g protein, 8g fat (4g saturates), 19g carbs (7g total sugars), 1g fibre

GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 2 up to a day ahead. Pour into a container; lay clingfilm on surface. Cover and chill. Alternatively, freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost overnight in fridge

(if frozen), then warm through in a pan, loosening with extra milk, if needed.

Onion and Porcini Gravy

If not serving to vegetarians, you can replace some or all of the stock with roasting tin or resting juices of the cooked turkey. Simply scrape the base of the tin with a wooden spoon to loosen any sticky bits and strain into a jug. Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time about 35min. Serves 8 25g dried porcini mushrooms 1tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, finely sliced 2tsp Dijon mustard

25g plain flour 300-500ml strong vegetable stock 200ml white wine

½tsp instant coffee granules

1 Put porcini in a small heatproof bowl, pour over 100ml freshly boiled water and soak for 20min.

2 Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan over low-medium heat; cook onions for 20min, stirring occasionally, until completely tender. Drain porcini (reserving liquid), finely chop and stir into pan along with mustard and flour. Cook for 1min. Remove pan from heat and gradually whisk in 300-500ml stock (depending on how thick you like your gravy), followed by wine, coffee, reserved soaking liquid and seasoning. Return to heat and bring to boil, whisking regularly; reduce heat and simmer for 10min, whisking occasionally, until thickened and slightly reduced.

3 Transfer to gravy jug or boat and serve.

PER SERVING 64cals, 2g protein, 2g fat (<1g saturates), 7g carbs (3g total sugars), 2g fibre GET AHEAD Make up to a day ahead; cool, cover and chill. To serve, reheat on the hob until piping hot, thinning with stock or water, if you like.