… #leftovers – If there where ever a word that deserves its own hashtag it should be thus. You will find it trending on social media today, without fail and rightly so. Like many of you out there, making meals from scraps is my favourite thing about the Christmas meal… belly stuffed to the point of aching we still manage to pull ourselves across the kitchen floor to the (newly acquired and very fancy – thank you Father C) josephjoseph storage containers and release the pungent vapours of cabbage and brussel sprouts, maybe a cold past potato and a stuffing ball. I may have even by-passed the plate this year and just dunked each glistening item into a bowl of thick, fridge-cold mayonnaise – oh the glory… of course my most favourite thing in the world is a cold turkey sandwich with coleslaw and stuffing but this can wait until tonight…
bubble and squeak
could there be anyone out there who hasn’t heard of bubble and squeak… there are many versions of this classic left-over dish all across the world but here at Belleau Cottage when we say bubble and squeak, this dish is what we mean… there are of course many methods to bubble and squeak and of course much of its glory comes down to what you’ve cooked the day before not in the way you make it. Some prefer the ‘throw-it-all-in-the-pan’ stove-top method where you quite literally empty your leftovers into a frying pan, crack an egg on top and hope for the best… I like a more controlled, oven-roasted, blended version which is more like a festive frittata than anything else… either way, it’s glorious for brunch the day after your big meal and makes one smuggle satisfied in the knowledge that you cooked way too much food for this very reason…
here’s what I did – adapt as you please – assume all vegetables are pre-cooked… if you’re making this from scratch with raw vegetables then you’re a muppet… I’ve made mine entirely vegetarian but you could use left-over sausage stuffing from the turkey which would be pretty amazing!
4 brussel sprouts
a small handful of kale
a small handful of green beans
2 sage and onion stuffing balls
2 roast-potatoes
2 tablespoons of carrots and swede mash
3 large free-range eggs – beaten
grease your oven-proof pan with butter – I used a fluted oval flan dish but an earthenware oven-dish would work just as well or even an oven-proof frying pan
pre-heat the oven to 180C
place all the ingredients, except for the eggs and the mash into a bowl and use a hand-blender to whizz them up… you don’t want to go too fine, a few pulses is perfect
then add the mashed swede and eggs and beat together… pour into the dish and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until it becomes golden brown and risen
eat and of course, enjoy and have a very merry christmas!
Boxing Day leftovers bubble and squeak – my favourite kind of food. We're stove-top people here, with a good dollop of HP sauce – naff, but delicious! Enjoy the rest of the hols.xx
There's nothing better than a good bubble & squeak for what ails you — love that you used Brussels sprouts!
Looks fab – very tempting and a great idea to make it in a tart tin. We love bubble and squeak and squeak in this house and will try your recipe next time.
Personally I enjoy cold sprouts just as they are, just sprouts, but most people think that's a bit wierd.
Mm, that's a wonderful representation of bubble and squeak. Loving this version!
LOVE the fact that you baked yours with eggs Dom, what a bloody nifty idea! Leftovers are my favourite food group and often taste better when laid again on the table, as in twice laid! Karen
That's a very refined bubble & squeak Dom. I'm definitely a throw it in the pan person and love that the frying pan method gives the vegetables an extra crisp before throwing an egg in…… On the other hand, yours does look rather special, so I could be persuaded to try a new method……. BUT…… only 4 brussels? They are the best bit….. I would need many more in there!