... or you could go with a fried egg on top, or have both sausages and a fried egg. Why not? It would all be brilliant.
Whilst we are all fans of bangers and mash chez Lola and Finn, sometimes it is nice to ring the changes and this is the kind of regional, homely dish is one that I like to cook. I also thought that if I drowned it in onion gravy I might be able to distract the kids from the fact that there is cabbage in this dish, as cabbage may as well equate to poison in the minds of Lola and Finn. I am not overly critical of this because I remember being less than impressed at a plate of cabbage being put in front of me when I was young, but as I have got older, I have begun to appreciate that it is a food packed with goodness and iron rich, at least I perceive it to be, and how I would love it to be a part of my children's diet.
This is another recipe from Jill Dupleix, and it is glorious. Once again I urge you to seek out her recipes if you haven't already done so.
This dish originates in the Scottish borders. My great great great grandma was from Melrose. I wonder if she ate a version of this dish when she was a child? I hope so, because it was good just now and I am sure would have been the perfect antidote to a cold day working on the farm back then.
Did I manage to get savoy cabbage into Lola and Finn? Well, a little. The secret is to chop it up really small and they eat some of it before they realise that you are trying to poison them!
Rumbledethumps taken from Jill Dupleix's Good Cooking.
Serves Lola, Finn, Mum and Dad heartily!
Ingredients:
500g all purpose potatoes (I used Vivaldi, from Sainsbury's)
400g savoy cabbage
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
6 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
30g cheddar cheese (Go for something punchy!)
30g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Method:
Heat the oven to 350*F.
Peel potatoes and cut into coarse chunks. Remove any tough outer leaves and the core from the cabbage, and finely slice the leaves.
Cook the potatoes in a large pan of simmering salted water for 10 minutes, then add the cabbage and cook until both are tender, but not overly soft, about 10 more minutes. Now add the spring onions for the last minute of cooking. Drain well.
Add the butter and most of the cheeses, leaving a little to sprinkle over the top later. Mash well, seasoning with salt and pepper.
You may serve it at this stage, sprinkled with the rest of the cheese. Or, if you like, pour it all into a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake until lightly browned and steaming hot, 25-30 minutes, (which is what I did)
Serve with sausages, or eggs, or both. Maybe a little onion gravy? It's all good.
Yes I think when plain cabbage was first presented to me on a plate as a child is when my obsession with covering food with copious amounts of salt and ketchup began. My gosh! I think you've just unlocked a repressed memory of mine. ;)
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