Bubble and Squeak

In 18th century England (Thomas Bridges referred to it in his 1770 volume "A Burlesque Translation of Homer") there was a dish of fried meat and cabbage. It was designed to utilize leftovers from the traditional Sunday Roast (Sunday lunch): the remainder of the beef, plus mashed or roasted potatoes, cabbage and other cooked vegetables. These veggies were typically full of water (having been boiled), so, when fried in oil or butter, they made a squeaking noise.

By 1951, B&S lost meat as an ingredient, possibly due to the scarceness of meat in post WWII United Kingdom, and now vegetables rule the dish, which, in my book, is a good thing.

In a recent visit to the Cotswolds I enjoyed the tastiest version of this humble dish at Three Way House Hotel, courtesy of chef Marc. Of course I obtained the recipe and am now sharing it with you. Do note, however, that this dish is subject to major interpretation. In other words, put in it WHATEVER YOU LIKE - it'll still be "kosher" so long as it has potatoes and vegetables.

• 3 Russet potatoes, roasted, boiled or mashed (if not mashed, mash or cube)
• 1 small head green cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces, or 8 oz. of cooked Brussels sprouts
• 1 large red onion
• Plus anything else you'd like to put in this. I usually add cauliflower because I like it.
• 1 tbsp. butter or oil or a mixture of both (my choice)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter/oil in a thick-bottomed skillet until ripply and hot. In the meantime, mix the potatoes and remaining vegetables into a pretty large patty. Place patty in the skillet and brown on both sides (a little crunch works well). Serve. Yup, it's that simple, and it's really good!

PS The Brits typically add a sunny side egg on top of the patty plus a couple of crisped bacon rashers. I like that addition, which makes a full meal of the dish, but it's also a great side dish for steak, any grilled meat etc.