There
are many variations on the breakfast butty, but my favorite is one I discovered
at the famous Maria’s Café in London’s Borough Market. It’s a classic combo of
bacon and egg, but with a helping of bubble and squeak thrown in, all crisp on
the outside and fluffy, cabbage-flecked potato within. The whole lot is crowned
with a slice of melting cheese and served in a large floury roll. Add a squirt
of your favorite sauce and this behemoth of a sandwich is guaranteed to blow
your hangover out of the water. Then it’s time for a snooze…
Makes 4
INGREDIENTS
FOR
THE BUBBLE AND SQUEAK:
1lb 2oz (500g) potatoes
3½oz (100g) green (or Savoy) cabbage or
other greens, roughly chopped
4 scallions (spring onions), finely
chopped
1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for frying
8 slices smoked bacon
4 eggs
4 large floury rolls, split open
4 slices cheese, such as Cheddar or
Swiss cheese
Brown sauce, ketchup, or steak sauce, to
serve
To make the bubble and squeak, cook the potatoes
in a pan of boiling salted water until tender, then drain and mash. Cook the
cabbage in a separate pan of boiling salted water until just tender, then drain
and mix well with the mashed potatoes, scallions (spring onions), and mustard.
Taste, season well with salt and pepper, and then taste again. Cool slightly,
then form into 4 burger-shaped patties.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and
fry the bubble and squeak patties until golden and crisp on each side. Don’t
worry if they break up; this just means more surface area and more of the good
crispy bits.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon to your liking and fry
the eggs. Lightly toast the rolls, then immediately add a slice of cheese to
the top half of each roll to let it melt slightly. Put a layer of bubble and
squeak on the bottom half of each roll, then top with the bacon and fried eggs
and add a squirt of your sauce of choice (I favor brown, personally). Top with
the cheese-topped roll halves (cheese-side down) and serve immediately.
