How to Make Bubble and Squeak

Bubble and Squeak is a British Isles dish that is named more for the sounds it makes when cooking rather than when you eat it. The purpose of the dish is to use leftover mashed potatoes, joint meat and cabbage. If you have no leftovers, then starting from scratch is very easy to do as well. This recipe assumes you are making everything from scratch.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 ½ lb. Yukon gold potatoes
• ½ cups whole milk
• 4 tsp. butter
• 1 whole cabbage head, green or red
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 medium-sized onion
• ½ lb. cooked corned beef, optional
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cast iron pan
• Medium-sized sauce pan
• Medium-sized bowl
• Potato masher
• Above ingredients
• Spatula

1. Wash and de-eye potatoes. Do not skin them unless you dislike the taste of potato skins.

2. Cut potatoes into roughly ½-inch cubes and put into a large stock pot. Add water to cover at least two inches above the potatoes. Add one teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil.

3. Lower heat to medium so the water doesn’t boil over, once the potatoes are boiling.

4. Cook potatoes until they are done, approximately 18-20 minutes. To test for doneness, stab one of the larger pieces of potato with a sharp paring knife. The knife should easily slide in and out of the potato.

5. Wash the cabbage well while the potatoes are cooking.

6. Cut the cabbage in half. Cut out the tough stem at the bottom of the cabbage head and discard. Roughly cut the cabbage into a large dice, keeping the pieces 1-inch in size. Set aside.

7. Peel the onion. Cut off the ends and discard.

8. Cut the onion into a large dice, keeping the cubes ¾-inch in width. Set aside.

9. Roughly cut the bacon slices into pieces ½-inch in size. Set aside.

10. Drain the potatoes from the water and mash them using a potato masher. If you don’t have a masher, you can use a large wooden spoon or a large fork to crush the potatoes.

11. Add the butter and milk and incorporate well while the potatoes are still hot. You want to melt the butter into the potatoes.

12. Taste the potatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

13. Heat a large sauté pan or, preferably, a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat.

14. Add the bacon pieces when the pan is hot. Cook the bacon until it is crispy and the fat has all melted into the pan.

15. Scoop the bacon out and set aside.

16. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions to the pan. Saute the onions for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions start turning translucent. Stir the onion occasionally.

17. Add the cabbage to the pan and sauté for an additional eight to 10 minutes once the onions start to brown. Stir occasionally while the cabbage wilts and browns.

18. Add the mashed potatoes and cooked bacon to the pan and mix well with the cabbage and onions. If you want to add the cooked beef, add it at this time. This is where you truly hear the “bubble and squeak” that this recipe is famous for. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to your tastes.

19. Let the mixture cook in the pan undisturbed for five minutes at a time once the potatoes are completely incorporated. This will make the bottom crispy. Occasionally flip large portions of the mixture over and brown a different side of the mixture.

20. Take the pan off the heat and serve once the mixture is crispy on the outside, yet creamy on the inside.

21. Serve this either by itself or with a slow-cooked joint roast.

Tips & Warnings

• As stated above, you can use leftover cooked potatoes, cabbage and meat for this dish. If you use leftover cabbage, place the cabbage into a colander and squeeze the excess water out.
• You can use any pre-cooked potatoes for this recipe, not only mashed potatoes. If you use potatoes cooked in another method, add the potatoes into the pan at the same time interval as the mashed potatoes. Use your spoon or spatula to partially crush the pieces of potatoes.
• You can also use brussel sprouts instead of cabbage in this recipe. Cut off the stem end of the brussel sprouts and use the same as the cabbage.
• You can use almost any leftover meat for this recipe, though beef is traditional.
• If you use a cast iron pan for cooking this recipe, as recommended, make sure that your pan is cleaned and well-seasoned before using it. See the eHow Related Articles section to find out how to clean and season your cast iron pan.

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