Autumn Comfort 3

No matter how much I like to be creative with food, just as often, I like to fall back to what I grew up with - the food that warmed my soul as a kid. Of the thousand uses for left-over chicken, this is by far my favourite.

CLASSIC HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH AND HOMEFRIES

Left-over chicken sliced; fresh bread (your favourite); russet potatoes peeled and wedged into homefries; pan drippings from chicken; chicken stock; tbsp corn starch; tbsp water; Kosher salt; fresh pepper

What makes this dish even more special is that you get to use up the pan drippings from your chicken. Of course, if you make gravy with your roast chicken, just make extra for this little treat. But if not, keep the drippings in a tight container in the fridge. When ready, skim the fat off the top and you have a perfect homemade gravy mix. As always, I advise making stock with your chicken bones (see recipe posted a while ago) and use for soups and anything else (like gravy). Simply put your drippings and stock (however much you'll need) in a sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil. Meanwhile mix corn starch and water in a cup, and when the gravy is boiling, whisk it in and reduce to a simmer. If you like it thicker, repeat this until you get the thickness you want. Let simmer very gently for at least 10 minutes.

For the perfect traditional homefries, you want fresh clean canola oil heated in a deep-frier at 385 degrees. Cook for about 12-14 minutes, tossing every 3 minutes or so. Let drain for a minute and then dump the fries on a paper towel and season to taste.

My favourite way to set this up is to put the chicken on one slice of bread and smother it in gravy, then add the second slice of bread and smother that one - and then a bit extra for the homefries. If you have leftover stuffing, peas or root vegetables on hand, these also make great sides.