January 25, 2010

Bubble & Squeak Cakes with Tomatoes & Poached Eggs

Bubble and what?...You've gotta give it to us Brits. We certainly know how to name our dishes! Spotted Dick, Toad in the Hole, Bangers and Mash, Bubble and Squeak! I don't understand this silliness any more than the next person, but I do love it.

This traditional English dish is made up of several different vegetables, typically leftover from a Sunday roast. Taking a mixture of any cooked vegetable, mashing it up, and pan frying it until golden will qualify as Bubble and Squeak. Traditionally though, potatoes, onions, cabbage or sprouts are used.

I like to mold my bubble and squeak into little cakes and serve them with a nice poached egg on top. The occasional piece of crispy bacon is also a welcomed addition!

Instead of making individual cakes, you can make one big portion if you prefer. Just pat the mashed vegetables into a pan heated with olive oil and fry until golden and crisp.

Feel free to experiment with leftover vegetables such as squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips or swede. And remember... watch out for the bubbles and listen carefully for the squeaks!

Makes 4 cakes (serves 2)

Note: These cakes can be made from scratch or you can use leftover cooked vegetables.

For the Bubble and Squeak:
1lb potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed with a tablespoon or two of butter
1/2lb Brussels sprouts, cooked and roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup seasoned flour
Butter
Olive oil for frying

To Serve:
2 eggs (optional)
Cherry tomatoes on the vine (optional)

In a large bowl, roughly mix together the potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
Melt a knob of butter in a pan and cook the onion until really soft and beginning to brown. Mix with the potatoes and sprouts and season generously with salt and black pepper. Form the mixture into cakes and chill until firm for 1 hour or for up to 24 hours. Coat each cake in the seasoned flour. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pan and fry the cakes until golden and crisp on both sides. At the same time, poach the eggs and grill the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill (broil) until they begin to soften and blister. About 3-4 minutes. Top two cakes with a well drained poached egg and serve with the grilled cherry tomatoes.

37 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great breakfast although probably you can eat it anytime! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jennie, English cuisine does leave us "Yanks" scratching our heads, but I love very whimsical name and the thrifty way it uses ingredients on hand.

    This dish is like no other I have ever seen, but it looks delicious. Thanks for opening my eyes & taste buds to something new & different.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That is a very sexy bubble and squeak! And how very English is that :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the name of this beautiful and delish looking dish!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree, I'm smitten with the fun names that accompany many British dishes. I often like to have breakfast for dinner, and this looks like a perfect candidate! What a lovely plate of food.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks wonderful! Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. I'm sure I'd love this.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Spookily bubble and squeak is on the menu tonight - always a Monday staple after a Sunday roast ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gorgeous and inviting photo ... I want this now! Love bubble and squeak ... even more so with that yummy egg on top!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! This looks divine! I'm going to give this one a test run ;] Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Grilled small cheery tomatoes sounds good, must be full of natural flavours! Good recipe. Added your link to my blogroll!

    ReplyDelete
  11. A very typical English dish. Yours look so good that I didn't want to believe they are mainly potatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your post made me smile... I love all the English names.
    The cakes with the egg on top, love it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mmmmm, bubble and squeak with a poached egg! I haven't had that in *years*. That's one of life's true pleasures.

    I'm seriously hungry now! :D

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh this I like, sounds so so yummy, and good for my tummy, lol. Thanks for sharing, and have I told you your food photography is excellent. Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. how funny... I remember seeing the name on a pub menu and wondering... now I know!

    great fun post

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for stopping by my blog :)

    I LOVE eggs! I just made my first poached egg last year, and I fell in love. Your pictures are beautiful, you've got some great talent in photography!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jennie, thanks for stopping by my kitchen. It allowed me to follow the trail back to your blog. It's gorgeous and the photos are awesome. You are one talented lady. I could dive right into that Bubble & Squeak.
    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think we need to try this at my house. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  19. These bubble and squeak cakes look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm always convinced that an egg over anything savory makes the dish better. I haven't had bubbles & squeak in awhile so I'll have to give your recipe a try! Thanks!

    Complete food porn w/ the runny yolk btw!

    ReplyDelete
  21. This looks like a very gourmet version on the usual recipes I see. I have enjoyed each Brit dish you have listed and this one needs to go on that list as well. It looks and sounds yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great idea for a weekend breakfast! Yours looks positively lovely. And honestly, I think the name "bubble and squeak" gives the dish a great deal of charm.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I have never poached an egg before, but once I learn how to, I'll definitely try this.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I have to admit that I have been thrown off several times by British food terms. Ha, ha! I often have no idea what is being spoke of. It usually ends up being something very tasty though. The Bubble and Squeak sounds outstanding! I'm definitely giving this a try.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I am not usually a savory breakfast person at all...but my mouth is a waterin'!!! Great picture as always, wonderful reminder to have eggs as simply eggs once and a while!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Delicious and so beautifully presented. I'm from near Newcastle and the locals endearingly call this sort of thing 'cad wammed up'

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've never had bubble and squeak (love the name!), which, after reading this is pretty tragic. I like the sound of it with sweet potatoes...

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm always a sucker for cooked tomato with eggs - a mainstay of breakfast in Australia as well as UK! For something completely different, try Hawaiian breakfast sometime! White rice, pan-fried SPAM and scrambled eggs, all topped with soy sauce!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I think it is very healthy, nice!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Pan fried bubble and squeak is one of my favorite go to meals after Thanksgiving here in the us. I always have a massive quantity of stuffing / dressing left over... which for me is bread, celery, onions, gizzards, sausage, apples, herbs and spices and more. Shape into a patty, dredge and fry. And here you go and take perfection and add my favorite - a gooey egg.

    Ok I must have NOW!

    ReplyDelete
  31. What a glorious picture. I'm left drooling over here:D Everything looks extremely delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  32. That is a great looking cake. :) Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  33. These cakes are so thick and look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  34. The brussel sprouts are a great addition along with the oozing poached egg on top and the side of tomatoes. The colors and textures are brilliant! Now for breakfast...

    ReplyDelete
  35. This is seriously ridiculous! I am craving breakfast even though I just ate dinner and it's time for bed. =) Beautiful photo too.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Good luck ,Great post,y love you!Thanks for the info it had cleared out too many things in my mind. Your recommendations are really good.

    http://www.bittermelonhealthbenefits.com

    ReplyDelete