Dinner Tonight: Bubble and Squeak
When I woke up from my tryptophan-induced slumber last Friday, my mind turned to a bulging fridge of leftovers. As usual, there seemed to be more food left over than was actually served on Thanksgiving. It was over an idle slice of pumpkin pie for breakfast that Bubble and Squeak came to me.
What the heck is bubble and squeak? Glad you asked. It's a traditional British dish invented to make use of the leftovers from a Sunday roast. But it works equally well on this side of the pond. Shredded green cabbage is sweated with some onions in butter, then mixed in with the leftover mash to be shaped into patties, browned in butter, and eaten ravenously. It's similar to an Irish dish called colcannon, made up of mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage and butter.
Most anything could be added to the potato mix, including a bit of stuffing or other leftover sides. It can also easily be made from scratch to become a terrifically cheap meal. Following a recipe from April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, I topped mine with a fried egg.
Bubble and Squeak
- serves 4 -
Adapted from April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig.
Ingredients
1 pound green or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced/shredded
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons butter
1 to 1 1/2 pounds leftover mashed potatoes, or 1 pound potatoes, boiled and mashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and add the onions with a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until soft, then add the cabbage. Cook for an additional 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with the cabbage mixture, stirring thoroughly to combine. Adjust the seasoning, then mold into 4 patties.
3. Heat the remaining butter in the same skillet and fry the patties until brown. Transfer to an oven-proof dish and heat through in the oven as the patties come off the skillet. Multiple skillets can be used to expedite things.
4. When all the patties are in the oven, fry 4 eggs in butter. Serve with freshly cracked black pepper.
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15 Comments:
In our family we usually had Bubble & Squeak on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) in England. It was always made from the leftover brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes from our Christmas Dinner and sometimes even topped with leftover turkey gravy. We would chop the brussels sprouts into the mash, and fry it up in butter til browned. Homey and comforting. I still make it every time I have leftover BB's and mash and my kids and DH love it. You would definately have to be a Brussels Sprouts fan!! My kids used to come home and smell the air..."Oh, Bubble & Squeak"!!!!!
lamora at 7:36PM on 12/02/08
Ah yes...great stuff. When my in-laws bubble and squeak their way over from England we tend to whip some up on occasion.
MikeL at 8:22PM on 12/02/08
I'm curious as to how the name came to be Bubble & Squeak? Could it be because of the curious onset of flatulence that is sure to follow it's consumption?
juliebugsmama at 9:01AM on 12/03/08
You're close. The name comes from the sounds it makes while cooking.
Cheesewit at 9:21AM on 12/03/08
I may not be a Brit, but I LOVE the Bubble & Squeak! The only thing better than that for leftovers is to make meatball-sized balls of leftover stuffing, bread them, deep fry them and serve them with a pesto made of leftover cranberries and walnuts!!!
http://gonzogastro.wordpress.com
vinovamp at 9:53AM on 12/03/08
never heard of this before.
will definitely have to try tho!
good call with the fried egg btw.
gastronomeg at 10:41AM on 12/03/08
Though I think I would be the only one eating this dish, it looks (and sounds) awesome! Will definately have to try it!
BanditBBQ at 10:47AM on 12/03/08
It just sounds so... gassy.
Kerosena at 11:17AM on 12/03/08
These are definitely a treat, especially with the fried egg! I became a fan of Bubble and Squeak when I was an exchange student in Australia many moons ago. My host moms made this with whatever leftover veg was in the fridge. Very yummy!
skyeyes at 11:23AM on 12/03/08
@Kerosena - I can assure you that it's not! My Mum also used to add whatever leftover veg we happened to have with the mash (sometimes, even mushrooms - this might have been my favourite combination), and we absolutely loved it!
brooke29 at 11:46AM on 12/03/08
@brooke29
Ah, yes it is. Cabbage & brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli & cauliflower. If they don't give you gas, nothing will.
Very good for you!
Sugar at 6:28PM on 12/03/08
This is new to me, but right up my alley. Thanks so much. I know my daughter will be delighted with this one also.
ghc630 at 8:08PM on 12/03/08
@Sugar - they really don't, neither one does. And I don't recall that they caused any problems to anyone in my family. Perhaps it's the amounts, or the way they are cooked, or maybe we're just lucky. Whatever the case may be, I'm certainly not complaining.
brooke29 at 9:42AM on 12/04/08
Or you could add egg noodles or bow ties and cottage cheese to the cabbage and onion mixture, which in my Polish 'hood they called broken pierogies or lazy pierogies.
Anne Argula at 12:57PM on 12/08/08
Everytime we drive down to Siesta Key, FL for part of the summer vacation, we always have to go to this Breakfast and lunch place that is owned by a British couple. Cafe Continental on Ocean Blvd.
They have been making their own version of Bubble & Squeak forever it seems. They make it with potatoes and peas, no cabbage. I asked them one time why no cabbage and they said that their customers never liked the cabbage flavor so they changed it to peas and it has been on their menu ever since. It is a wonderful variation and I love to have it with eggs and bangers every time I go there. Mmm...
This recipe looks good and I will try it soon. I have half a head of cabbage sitting in my refrigerator. Thanks for the inspiration.
RisaG at 2:13PM on 12/15/08