Bubble & Squeak

A quintessential British invention, first recorded by Maria Rundell in 1806, for using up the leftovers of Sunday lunch. You'd never of guessed it, but the name comes from the sounds it makes whilst cooking. Recipes vary but spuds and cabbage tend to remain common in all.  


I've never been a big fan of bubble and squeak, perhaps because the demon sprout always crept in in our house, but I think, no, actually I'm quite sure! That now I am a firm believer in it's virtues, thanks to this beaut of a recipe. (Forgive me for blowing my own trumpet, but it IS good). 


Served below with a fried egg & radish, tomato, mildly pickled beetroot and blue cheese. Please note, the tomatoes are off my very own bedraggled plant - Joy :).

Ingredients
Left-over potato(s), mashed - around 100g per person is ideal.
Shredded Cabbage - left-over or freshly cooked - use roughly the same volume (not weight) as potato.
A few leaves of each of Mint, coriander and basil. 
A large knob of butter.
4 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into chunks and fried until crispy.
1 spring onion, sliced.
1 clove of garlic, crushed.
Freshly ground black pepper.


Method
Put all ingredients except the butter and garlic in a bowl and mix together. Season with black pepper.
(If you are cooking the cabbage fresh, fry it over a high heat, in with the bacon, so it can absorb the juices and fat that renders from it). 
Fry off the garlic in the butter over a medium heat in a heavy bottom frying pan. 
When it's becoming golden, pour the pans contents in with the potato mixture and combine. Return the pan to the heat and turn up to high. Form the spud mix into large patties and fry for about 4 mins on each side to create a beautiful bronze crust.
You can serve these along side pretty much anything. Tasty, easy, cheap and flipping versatile, what more could you want!?

Serves 2. Prep time 10 mins (depending on whether you're using leftovers). Cooking time 15 mins.