Recipe of the Week: Bubble and Squeak

British cuisine is full of oddly named delicacies. Spotted dick, toad in the hole, crumpet. All sound like the name of an adult movie that might star Diego Maradona. Beneath the absurdity of the nomenclature and decades of bashing by foodies, British dining relies on simple flavors and hearty ingredients.

Traditionally made of left over potatoes and greens from a Sunday roast, bubble and squeak combines two of my favorite sides and melds them into a wonderful creation that’s meal in its own right. Delia Smith—a bonafide legend of the English kitchen—has a wonderful take on the dish, transforming it from leftover to star. Taking her lead, and adding a few of my own tweaks (a spot of onion and the kick of cayenne pepper), I present bubble and squeak pancakes.

You will need:

• 4 potatoes

• 1 green cabbage

• 1 onion

• 4 oz. sharp cheddar

• Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Preparation

1) Boil whole potatoes until tender (can be done a day in advance). While potatoes are cooking dice onion and trim cabbage.

2) Once potatoes are cooked, drain and allow to cool. When cool, peel the potatoes and grate them.

3) Toss grated potatoes, grated cheese, diced onion, and cabbage into a large bowl and season.

4) Heat olive oil in a skillet and form the mixture into pancakes.

5) Place pancakes in skillet. Once a golden crust has formed around the edge, flip and continue cooking until crisp on both sides.

Add an arugula salad on the side, and these pancakes become a delightful vegetarian meal that even the heartiest man can enjoy without begrudging the lack of meat.

Bonus fact: In cockney rhyming slang, bubble and squeak means “Greek.” Word to Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels