Classic Bubble and Squeak: British Potato and Cabbage Hash

Bubble and Squeak is a classic British dish born from frugality and flavour, traditionally made from the leftover vegetables of a Sunday roast. There is no single “authentic” recipe because the dish was created to use whatever vegetables remained—potatoes, cabbage, peas, leeks, carrots, sprouts, swede and more. The name comes from the sound of butter bubbling as the mixture fries and the faint squeak of the vegetables as they cook.

Historically, Sunday lunches often featured several vegetable side dishes alongside roast meat. The meat was usually sliced and served separately the following day, while the vegetables would be combined, mashed and fried to make Bubble and Squeak. Leftovers were typically mixed together after the meal, cooled and stored overnight, then shaped and fried the next day. Bubble and Squeak could be served at breakfast or enjoyed as the main part of a midweek meal.

“A New Domestic Cookery”, by M. Rundel, published 1808

The earliest printed recipe appears in Maria Rundel’s 1808 book A New Domestic Cookery:

Bubble and Squeak.

Boil, chop, and fry it, with a little butter, pepper, and salt, some cabbage, and lay on it slices of underdone beef, lightly fried.

Common vegetables used in Bubble and Squeak include floury potatoes (essential for binding), cabbage, peas, spring onions, leeks, brussels sprouts, swede and carrots. The classic proportions are flexible: for roughly every 1 kg of cooked, floury mashed potatoes, add about 450 g of cooked, chopped vegetables. Below is a straightforward recipe using potatoes, cabbage and spring onions, but feel free to substitute other leftovers.

Bubble & Squeak Recipe

Choose floury potatoes for the mash. Both the potatoes and the vegetables should be well drained, and the potatoes mashed coarsely rather than silky smooth. Avoid adding milk or excess liquid; too much moisture will make the patties fall apart. If the mixture is on the drier side, shallow-fry in a little oil (about 3 mm deep). If it is slightly wetter, cook on a griddle or in a dry pan wiped with butter to achieve a crisp exterior.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 kg floury potatoes
• 40 g butter (for cooking) plus 40 g for mashing
• 400 g green cabbage or kale, finely sliced
• 10 large spring onions (or 2 leeks), chopped
• 2 tbsp water
• 40 g plain flour for dusting
• vegetable oil or extra butter for frying
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
• optional: a pinch of mustard powder or 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

To serve: Bubble and Squeak pairs well with fried bacon, sausages, mushrooms and eggs, or slices of roast meat. It also works as a vegetarian main with a side salad or poached egg.

Recipe Method:

1. Peel and chop the potatoes into even pieces so they cook uniformly. Place them in a saucepan, cover with lightly salted water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender but still holding their shape, about 12–15 minutes. Do not overcook.

2. While the potatoes cook, clean and chop the spring onions, including both white and green parts. Trim and thinly slice the cabbage. Heat a large pan until hot, add 40 g of butter and sauté the spring onions for about three minutes. Add two tablespoons of water and the sliced cabbage, then cook over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage is wilted and just tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Drain the potatoes in a colander, return them to the pan and place the pan on low heat to steam off any remaining moisture briefly. Remove from the heat, add the remaining 40 g of butter and mash the potatoes coarsely with a potato masher—leave some texture rather than making them completely smooth. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and stir in mustard if using. Fold in the cooked spring onions and cabbage, including any butter from the pan, until evenly combined.

4. Allow the mixture to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up—this helps the patties hold their shape when frying. When chilled, place some plain flour on a plate. Take small handfuls of the mixture, shape into compact round patties and dust both sides in flour. Arrange the patties on a tray while you finish shaping them all.

5. Fry the patties until golden and crisp. For a drier mixture, shallow-fry in about 3 mm of oil until each side is brown and crisp. For a slightly wetter mixture, cook on a griddle or in a non-stick pan wiped with butter. Cook over medium heat so the patties are heated through without burning the exterior.

Serve Bubble and Squeak hot with your preferred accompaniments. It makes a satisfying breakfast or a hearty, thrifty lunch. Leftovers reheat well in a pan to restore their crispiness.