ADAPT February recipe

Bubble and Squeak

This classic British recipe was a childhood favourite of mine, always cooked on a Monday using left-overs from the Sunday roast dinner.

Then it consisted simply of potatoes and cabbage or sprouts mashed together and fried, accompanied by the remaining cold meat and chutney. These days we rarely cook a Sunday roast so there are no left-over vegetables to use up and we cook from scratch using whatever we have in store or growing in the garden, so each time it is different.

Here is the recipe from the last time we made Bubble and Squeak – and we thought it was the best ever, served with a gammon steak!

Serves 4:

1kg floury potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large leek
10-12 young leaves of curly kale
10-12 young leaves of ruby chard
3 cloves of garlic
1tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp celery seeds (optional)
½ tsp black onion seeds (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Olive (or other vegetable) oil for frying

Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in slightly salted water in a large pan until soft.

While they are cooking, chop chard stalks and slice leek, place in a sieve or colander which will fit over the potato pan. Roughly tear leaves of chard and kale, add to sieve. Before potatoes are completely cooked, place sieve over pan, replace lid and steam vegetables for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large frying pan and soften chopped onion. Add crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.

Drain the cooked vegetables. Roughly mash potatoes then add steamed vegetables, onion and all seasonings and mix well together.

Heat more oil in the frying pan and add the mixture, pressing well down with masher. Cook on medium heat until it starts to brown at the bottom. With a large spatula, turn the mixture – it will most likely break up but once it is all turned it can be squashed together again in the pan.

More oil may be needed at this stage to prevent it from sticking too much, although it should be brown underneath. Turn again if necessary and cook until it is nicely browned and piping hot, about 15-20 minutes in total.

As it cooks it will bubble and hiss, and you may even hear it squeak!

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