Bubble and Squeak
Bubble and squeak is the British answer to Sunday's leftovers: cold mashed potato and cooked greens pressed into a pan and fried into a crisp-edged cake the next morning. It squeaks and bubbles as it cooks, which is how it got its name. Restaurants drown it in butter or dripping, but a good nonstick pan and a little patience give you the same dark crust with nothing added, because the potato's own starch browns beautifully against dry heat. The point is the contrast, a crisp shell over a soft, cabbagey inside, so the two rules are simple: use enough mash to bind the greens, and do not touch it while the crust sets. Any cooked brassica works, from cabbage to sprouts to kale. Serve it with baked beans or grilled tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb Potatoes, cooked and mashed
- 3 cups green cabbage, shredded and cooked
- 1 whole Yellow onions, finely diced
- 1 cup Brussels sprouts, cooked, chopped
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
- Sweat the diced onion in a spoonful of water in a nonstick pan until soft and just starting to color, about 8 minutes. This is the only part cooked from raw; everything else is leftovers, which is the whole idea of the dish.
- Fold the mash, cooked cabbage, chopped sprouts, nutmeg, and pepper into the onion until it holds together as one mass. The potato is the glue, so it needs enough of it to bind the greens; too much cabbage and the cake falls apart in the pan.
- Press the mixture down into an even layer and leave it completely alone over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. The name comes from the sound it makes as the underside fries, and the crust only forms if you let it sit undisturbed; poking at it is why most bubble and squeak comes out pale and soft.
- Slide it onto a plate, invert it back into the pan, and brown the second side for another 6 minutes. Both sides want a dark crust, because the contrast between the crisp shell and the soft inside is the entire pleasure of the dish. Cut into wedges and scatter parsley over.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 160 calories, 5 g protein, 6 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
