Crisp Bubble and Squeak with Savoy Cabbage
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Buttery mashed potato folded with onion and savoy cabbage, pressed into a non-stick pan and fried in butter until deeply browned and crisp on both sides.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Cook the potatoes. Cover the potatoes with water in the saucepan, add 2 tsp salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 min until a knife meets no resistance. Drain, return to the pan, add 40 g butter and the pepper and mash until smooth.
- 2
Cook the cabbage. Melt 15 g butter in the frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for about 4 min until soft. Add the cabbage, water and 1/2 tsp salt, cover and cook for about 10 min, stirring once, until wilted and tender. Fold the cabbage into the potatoes and wipe out the pan.
- 3
Brown the first side. Melt 20 g butter in the pan over medium heat. Pack in the potato mixture and press it into an even cake with the spatula. Cook without stirring for 6-8 min until a deep golden crust forms underneath. Leaving it alone is what builds the crust.
- 4
Flip and finish. Slide the cake onto the plate, invert the pan over it and turn both over together. Add the remaining 20 g butter around the edge and cook for 6-8 min more, until the second side is crisp and the cake is hot through. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cat tip
Floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward give the fluffiest mash and the best crust.
More from the cat
- Leftover cooked potatoes, cabbage, sprouts or carrots work just as well.
- Top each wedge with a fried egg for brunch, cooked until the yolk is set.
Storage
Refrigerate the mixture or leftover wedges up to 2 days. Re-fry in a little butter until crisp and piping hot (74 °C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- colander
- potato masher
- 30 cm non-stick frying pan with lid
- spatula
- large plate
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 335 kcal |
| Protein | 5.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 37.4 g |
| of which sugars | 4.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 19.5 g |
| of which saturates | 12.3 g |
| Fibre | 6.4 g |
| Salt | 1.54 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
