Introduction

My mother-in-law is English, through and through. Essex English, more specifically, though my in-laws have lived in Kent, the garden of England, for 50 years! In her younger days she worked nights as a cook where I believe she picked up her coffee-drinking habit, which continues to this day (she likely has coffee instead of blood coursing through her veins). Her name is Nana Shirley, and she has taught me a lot about life, and English cuisine over the years. One of my favourites is called Bubble and Squeak. I’ve called this “Nana Shirley’s Bubble & Squeak” because it comes directly from her! In England, Nana is a term for grandmother, and she is an excellent, one-in-a-billion Nana to my daughter.

Nana Shirley refers to this dish as shortened simply to “her Bubble” by which she means the delightful way she transforms traditional roast dinner leftovers into a whole new thing. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to eat re-heated roast potatoes? A sorry affair. But if you squash those roast potatoes, add whatever other roast vegetables you might have (carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli…) and a half a green cabbage, you’re in for a treat!

Also, I have asked Shirley if she knew the origin of this term. She told me that she hadn’t really thought about it. I guess when something is ingrained in you at an early enough age, you don’t really think about it. Why do you call a tree a tree? Well, because it’s a tree, of course. So, whatever the origin, it’s just authentically “Bubble” now.

Overview

Bubble & Squeak is often made with the leftovers from a Sunday Roast (traditional English roast lunch or dinner). The method is simple, and because you don’t have to cook the vegetables, the dish comes together quickly. First, squash the cooked vegetables roughly with a fork. Heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil in a frying pan, add the vegetables, and fry on medium high, watching and turning every few minutes until you see the vegetables browning. Fry an egg in a separate pan. Serve a few large spoons of vegetables per plate, and top with the fried egg before serving.

And now follows the more specific method, were you to start with raw ingredients instead of leftovers. Nana Shirley says that cabbage, mashed potatoes and carrots are non-negotiable ingredients. Her granddaughter, my daughter Ellie was very excited, both to get in front of the camera and also to use a knife. So I embraced the help! There’s nothing quite like sharing recipes down the generations.

Authentic Bubble & Squeak Ingredients – a guide

Serves 4. Cooking Time: 1.5 hours

• Half a green cabbage
• Potatoes – 3 medium
• Carrots – 3 medium
• Broccoli – 1 head (optional)
• An onion (or few leeks, scallions, or green onions – optional)
• 3 cloves garlic (optional)
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil (e.g. light olive oil)
• 1 tsp salt or to taste

Nana Shirley’s Instructions

I should start off by explaining that Shirley prefers her vegetables “dead,” meaning very well cooked and soft, and she boils them. So, this is how I’ve written the recipe. However, if you prefer stir-fried vegetables, or if you are short on pans (I’ve lived in Airbnbs too), or you just prefer a more vibrant colour, by all means, please yourself! In essence, the steps are:

1. Boil the vegetables
2. Prepare the frying pan
3. Squash the vegetables
4. Fry the vegetables
5. Fry the eggs
6. Plate and serve

Step 1 – Boil the vegetables. Set 3 pots of water on to boil. Then peel and chop your carrots into 1 inch pieces and set to boil in one pot. Peel, then halve and roughly chop the potatoes, add them to the second pot and set to boil. Then chop the cabbage into short strips, place into the third pot and bring to the boil. If you have any other vegetables to use, repeat this process. Then turn the vegetables down to simmer until they are soft.

Step 2 – Prepare the frying pan. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a frying pan. Then peel and dice the onion, add to the oil, and allow to fry for 10 minutes or until soft and starting to brown. Peel and chop the garlic and add to the onion. Watch carefully as to not burn the garlic – if you’re not a multi-tasker, I recommend to turn the burner off after 1 minute with the garlic! Now add the rest of the oil (3 tablespoons).

While you’re dealing with the onions, the vegetables will finish cooking. First the cabbage will finish (10 minutes). Then the carrots and potatoes, depending on the thickness of your chop (30 minutes). You should be able to easily pierce the vegetables with a fork. When they’re soft, drain. Leave a bit of cooking liquid in with the potatoes so you can easily mash them.

Step 3 – Squash the vegetables. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, or treat them the same as the others. By this I mean to put 7-10 pieces on a cutting board or plate and smash with a fork.

Step 4 – Fry the vegetables. Once all the ingredients have been prepared, turn the stovetop back on to heat up your onion/garlic/oil. Then add the boiled and squashed vegetables and the salt and pepper to taste, and turn the heat up to high / medium high. Make sure not to crowd your pan; you need to be able to dig to the bottom and flip the bottom to the top. Depending on your taste and how hot your pan is, this will take 10-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it and stir every few minutes, flipping the browned section to the top over and over again. Your authentic Nana Shirley’s Bubble & Squeak is nearly ready!

Step 5 – Fry the eggs. When you are ready to eat, and the vegetables are brown enough for your liking, take out another frying pan. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in this frying pan to medium-high. When the oil is hot, crack an egg into it. Shirley’s trick is to then turn the pan down to medium-low, and flick the oil on top of the egg with a spoon. The hot oil cooks the top of the fried egg, so the egg finishes cooking before the bottom gets brown.

Step 6 – Plate and serve. Serve the browned vegetables onto each plate and top with a fried egg. Serve with salt and pepper, and hot sauce for the ones who love hot sauce! Nana Shirley’s Bubble & Squeak is ready. You could try it with a hot buttered slice of Easy Sourdough bread. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Please let me know if you try this dish in the comments, or if you have any questions for Nana Shirley!