Boxing Day Bubble and Squeak

Serves 2-3

Takes 25 minutes

Sometimes, bubble and squeak is made with added mashed potato to help bind it, which we aren’t adding here because on Boxing Day the whole point is using up leftovers, rather than cooking anything more from scratch. That makes this bubble a bit more like a hash, but that’s fine by us. Hollandaise makes this an extremely luxurious bubble and squeak.

1. Set the oven to a low heat, and gently warm 2 or 3 plates in it. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. If using, add the pancetta, bacon or ham and sauté briskly, until crisp. For the last couple of minutes of cooking, add the diced white parts of the spring onions and cook until slightly softened. (If you’re not using meat, just sauté the spring onion in butter or flavourless cooking oil.) Remove from the heat and lift out the meat and onion, leaving the fat behind.
2. Place in a large bowl with the green parts of the spring onions, the leftover potatoes and vegetables, the greens and some salt and pepper. Mix, then use a potato masher to roughly crush the potatoes and vegetables.

3. Place the frying pan back over the heat. When hot, add the vegetables to the pan and spread out, pressing the mixture down to form a fairly even layer. Cook without stirring until the vegetables begin to brown and caramelize on the bottom. Gently flip the mixture over – it won’t hold together, don’t worry – so that the top is on the bottom.

4. Meanwhile, poach a couple of eggs per person.

5. When the bottom of the bubble and squeak is golden brown, remove from the heat and arrange a couple of spoonfuls of it on each warmed plate. Top with the poached eggs, a spoonful of hollandaise and a sprinkling of the chopped fresh herbs. Season with a little salt and some black pepper just before serving.

• 75g (2¾oz) diced pancetta, bacon or ham
• (optional)
• butter or flavourless oil, for frying
• 2 spring onions, white parts diced, green
• parts sliced, separated
• about 400g (14oz) leftover roast potatoes
• and roast vegetables
• about 125g (4½oz) leftover greens or
• cabbage, shredded
• 4–6 eggs
• freshly made Hollandaise Sauce
• finely chopped chives and/or flat leaf
• parsley, to sprinkle
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper