Recipes

Chosen from Tender: Volume 1, Nigel Slater writes "Bubble and squeak can be as simple as the traditional leftover cabbage and potato fry-up or somewhat more sophisticated, with the introduction of cheese, smoked pork, fish or other vegetables. The bells-and-whistles versions can often successfully disguise the fact that your supper is made from stuff you found at the back of the fridge. Keeping the potato pieces quite rough makes the texture more interesting."

Makes 4, enough for 2

    200g chard leaves and (only) the finer stalks
    A large bunch basil
    75ml olive oil
    2 tsp lemon juice
    150g Taleggio, Wigmore, Waterloo or similar semi-soft cheese
    400g roughly mashed cooked potatoes
    1 tbsp plain flour
    4 tbsp chopped parsley
    6 tbsp cornmeal (polenta)
    Olive or groundnut oil - a little for frying

Method

Wash the chard thoroughly, then steam or boil till the stalks are tender. Drain well. Whiz the basil leaves and their stalks and the olive oil in a good processor, then stir in a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Set aside. Roughly chop the chard, leaving four beautiful leaves on one side.

Cut the cheese into small pieces and mix with the roughly mashed potatoes. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then stir in the flour, parsley and chopped chard. Divide the mixture into four and shape each one into a rough patty about the diameter of a digestive biscuit. Tip the cornmeal on to a plate, then turn the patties in it to coat.

Warm a thin layer of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Lower the patties into the oil and cook for about four minutes on each side, till golden. Leave briefly on kitchen paper to drain whilst you dip the reserved chard leaves in the frying pan, just to warm them through. Serve the cakes topped with the chard leaves and a trickle of basil oil.