Bubble and Squeak (potato dish)

[Sue]

I've just been served - at Franklins - a pile of mashed potato and cabbage mixture which had not been fried and had no crispy bits on the outside (or anywhere else) at all.

Surely the whole point of bubble is that the crispy outside contrasts with the soft middle? Plus the butter gives it a nice taste?

I thought they had forgotten to fry it, but I was told it was supposed to be like that :-S

Surely not??

[Alan Medic]

How does this compare?

[peterstorm1985]

Sue, you are right, they are wrong. I think they may be mixing it up with Colcannon which is an Irish cabbage and potato mixture but not fried.

[maxxi]

traditional bubble is mash and cold veg left over from a roast dinner (usually cabbage and peas) but is always fried (which is when it bubbles and squeaks in the pan) and best fried in bacon fat.

[katie1997]

A sorry state of affairs indeed for a fine establishment such as this. Understanding the various methods of preparation and cooking of potato and cabbage-based dishes is a key skill. Does anywhere offer bubble & squeak as it should be? (6)

[val]

Maria's Market cafe, Borough Market

[Sue]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> How does this compare?

xxxxxx

Yes, I had already looked that up and printed it out, together with Nigel Slater's recipe for "classic bubble and squeak".

I intend to take it round to them.

They shouldn't be putting something on the menu as bubble when it clearly isn't.

I have had it there before done properly, but this is the second time I've had it served up like this. I wonder whether they just can't be bothered to fry it :-S

It didn't even taste to have been seasoned. Very strange for Franklins, whose brunches are usually very good.

[Mick Mac]

Sue, if I were you I would sue.

[Sue]

:))

No, if you were me you would be sue.

[HonaloochieB]

The Phoenix greasy spoon in Brixton adds a touch of thyme to theirs.

[Sue]

Thyme? Not sure I fancy that in bubble ....

[Guest]

With a fried egg on top?

[Sue]

Franklins does it with poached eggs, mushroom and tomatoes.

Would have been very nice if only the bubble had been crispy on the outside!

[HonaloochieB]

What Franklins do is not B&S, it's vegetables.

[Sue]

HonaloochieB Wrote:

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> What Franklins do is not B&S, it's vegetables.

xxxxxxx

But my point is, it is described as bubble on the menu, not as - for example - "mashed potato mixed with cooked bits of cabbage and formed into a lukewarm mound on the plate".

[peterstorm1985]

I think we're all agreed that Franklins are in the wrong (If there's any remaining doubt just Google B&S and "Jamie at Home"). You've a right to your money back but I'm not sure that Trading Standards will be that bothered. But if you do give TS a call, let us know how you get on.

[Sue]

Of course I'm not going to involve Trading Standards, don't be so bloody stupid :))

And I don't want my money back.

I just want Franklins to cook bubble how it's supposed to be cooked, to which end I am going to take them round some recipes :))

ETA: I've just re-read your post, and if you weren't intending to be sarcastic, then I apologise.

[maxxi]

I can't believe someone from Franklins hasn't been on here apologising/excusing/defending etc.

Now if it were the Victoria they'd have posted the same day and probably offered to cook you a fresh B&S whilst giving you a run down of the drinks/rooms/food they offer (waits for name-recognition alarm to go off in SE15 and someone from Victoria to rush to forum).

Edited to say yes, the above is meant to be sarcasm - but only the stuff about the vic.

[katie1997]

*looks aghast*

Who needs a recipe for bubble & squeak? Who? (apart from er, Franklins, eh Sue?) :)) its supposed to be simply leftovers of cabbage and potato, fried. And if not *actual* leftovers, then lots of cabbage and potato, fried.

Dearest HonaloochieB, what's all this about thyme? That's a bit bloomin' well fancy, no?

*heads to Maria's cafe*

(thanks Val) (tu)

[HonaloochieB]

katie1997 Wrote:

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> Dearest HonaloochieB, what's all this about thyme?

> That's a bit bloomin' well fancy, no?

>

Fancy indeed, KatieNumbers which is quite at odds with the atmos of the cafe itself.

[Magpie]

This may be heresy, but I have got a reasonable result by roasting bubble and squeak in a hot oven - with a bit of oil or butter at the top - only one side gets crispy though.

[Sue]

They did say they had done it in an oven - but there was no sign of any butter or oil, and no sign of any crispiness on any side whatsoever. Just a mound of mash. Not even slight browning of the mash. Apart from small brown bits inside the mash, which I assume were bits of old roast potatoes, however even those bits weren't crispy.

Maybe it was a microwave oven :))

To be fair, they did offer to give me something else, but that wasn't the point really, anyway I was starving!

Anyway, I shall be taking them round the recipes and see what the outcome is .....

[murphy]

Sue, do you think it's a good idea to give the highy qualified chef at Franklins a copy of Jamie's Sizzlin Bubble & Squeak?

You might find the outcome is "The Goose is Stuffed" appearing on a Franklins menu rather sharpish :))

[SimonM]

A Yorkshire version of this (seriously!) involved mixing left-over mash and mushy peas and then shallow frying to crisp and brown the sides: nice with bacon: bliss!

[Sue]

murphy Wrote:

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> Sue, do you think it's a good idea to give the

> highy qualified chef at Franklins a copy of

> Jamie's Sizzlin Bubble & Squeak?

>

> You might find the outcome is "The Goose is

> Stuffed" appearing on a Franklins menu rather

> sharpish :))

xxxxxx

Don't care how qualified he is, he clearly doesn't know how bubble should be cooked.

Had his version been nice to eat, even though not what I was expecting, that would have been different, but it wasn't. I couldn't even eat it all, it was rubbish. It was very prettily piled up on the plate with a sprig of baby tomatoes on top of it, however.

Don't really care what he thinks of me for suggesting he reads a Nigel Slater recipe (not Jamie!) either.

Stuffed Goose - :)) - not the first time that joke has been made, and probably won't be the last :))