This past Sunday was Mothering Sunday in England (or Mother’s Day as we call it here) and so, conversely, I thought I would chat a little about my English dad Norman Knight. You cannot possibly get more of an English name. As children we knew if there was anything on our plates that needed to be eaten, even when it may have looked like something from another planet, he would say…”well kids, we grew up during the war, and had to pick the worms off our cabbage before eating. It is good for you and will make you strong.” Mealtimes were driven by very English customs. Bread and butter pudding on Mondays served after steaming plates of Shepherd’s Pie was one of my favorite loves amongst many others. ‘Toad in the Hole’ and ‘Bubble and Squeak’ were right up there with fun filled days at our big round dining room table. We used to giggle at the funny names every time these dishes were mentioned. In fact, both of these dishes are easy to make using simple ingredients at hand.
Toad in the Hole is said to be known as far back as 1787 but the most famous reference is in Mrs. Beeton’s Cookery Book first published in 1861. There are many old tales of where it got its name with the most popular being that the small sausages or meat bits used in years gone by resembled toads peeking out of a hole. Toads apparently have never been used in the recipe.
Bubble and Squeak is like a hug on a plate. The name of the dish makes absolutely no sense but some say the name comes from the sound the cabbage makes when dropping into the frying pan. Try it! Similar dishes based on fried vegetables are Colcannon in Ireland and Rumbledethumps in Scotland.
I hope these two easy recipes will inspire you to use leftovers and to smile when you serve up a dose of good English tomfoolery and loads of yummy tastes to enjoy!
Toad in the Hole
Serves 4 generous servings or 6 respectable amounts
Ingredients:
Sausages. Use what you have. I typically use good quality breakfast style ones.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. (Do not use olive oil).
Batter:
- 1 ⅛ cups (5 oz /140g) flour
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup / 175 ml low fat milk (an extra tablespoon or 2 can be added if batter is very stiff)
Method:
Heat the oven to 220 C/ 425 F
Place sausages in a roasting dish approximately 7×11 inches. Add oil and roast until browned, turning as necessary.
Meanwhile make your batter:
Tip flour into a bowl and add a good pinch of salt. Add eggs and then slowly add the milk.
Whisk until a smooth batter is formed. Set aside until sausages are browned.
Remove the sausages from the oven. The dish should be sizzling hot.
Quickly pour batter over sausages and bang into the oven.
Cook for 20 to 30 minutes until batter is golden brown and risen nicely
Serve with optional gravy and some of your favorite vegetables.
Bubble and Squeak
Serves 2 generously
This is the perfect dish for this time of the year. Greens are bountiful and there is always a leftover or two to repurpose. You can really use any vegetable that compliments the other chosen for this dish. For the potato, you can use leftover baked, mashed, or fried potato or make fresh.
Optional: Serve with fried eggs and a dash of chili sauce for a great brunch style meal
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil plus some for frying
- 2 Tablespoons (1oz/25 g) butter
- Small onion thinly sliced
- 1 ⅛ cups (9oz/250g) leftover cooked vegetables or a similar fresh amount that you can fry up quickly. Vegetables such as kale, cabbage, spinach, chard,
- brussels sprouts, and leeks are great for this earthy dish.
- 1 ⅜ cups (11oz/ 300g) cooked potato (see above).
- Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme or rosemary will do). This is optional. Pinch of dry mix is good too.
- 2 large eggs for frying option
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Heat a teaspoon of the oil and the butter in a pan. I use a non-stick or cast iron pan for a good crust. Fry the onion until soft, add the vegetables and potatoes. Season well. Add herbs if you are doing so.
Break the potatoes and veg up a little and push down to create a nice golden caramelized crust. When the crust is firm, flip the veg over. Do this until you have a nice crispness to your veg and potato.
Set aside.
Using the fry oil from your ingredients, fry your eggs to taste and place on top of your veg stack. A little spicy sauce and that’s it. Nice basic recipe to play with and hope it has given you some new ideas.
