Pic of bubble and squeak with ham, poached egg and mustard hollandaise

bubble and squeak with ham, poached egg and mustard hollandaise

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Pork & gammon

bubble and squeak with ham, poached egg and mustard hollandaise

Main Serves 4 40 min
This is a lovely way of enjoying Christmas leftovers. If you're not confident cooking poached eggs, you can fry them instead. The easiest way to cook lots of poached eggs together is to cook them one by one, carefully transferring them when cooked using a ladle into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking, then gently reheat them in hot (not boiling) water before serving. Make sure your eggs are fresh or they will not poach well – the whites will separate from the yolks.

Ingredients

main

  • 1 large leek, finely sliced
  • oil for frying, e.g. vegetable or sunflower
  • butter for frying
  • 400g floury potatoes, cooked and mashed (use leftover potatoes if you like)
  • 200g Brussels sprouts, cooked and thinly sliced (use leftover sprouts or cabbage too if you like)
  • 4 eggs
  • white wine vinegar
  • 4 slices of ham
  • salt and pepper

for the hollandaise

  • 4 egg yolks
  • splash of white wine vinegar
  • 250g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 lemon
Image of bubble and squeak with ham, poached egg and mustard hollandaise

Method

Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 30 min

main

  • Step 1

    Cook the leek on a low heat in a splash of oil, stirring now and then to stop it catching, until softened without colouring. Mix with the potatoes and sprouts, season well, then form into 8 balls and gently flatten slightly into small pattie/burger shapes.

  • Step 2

    Melt a knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the cakes until golden and crispy on both sides, in batches if your pan is not big enough. Keep warm in a low oven while you poach the eggs and make the hollandaise.

  • Step 3

    Bring a large pan of water to a gentle rolling boil (not bubbling). Add a good splash of white wine vinegar and swirl the water with a wooden spoon into a whirlpool.

  • Step 4

    Crack one egg into a small bowl or ramekin, then tip it into the pan. Cook for 2 ½ minutes. Keep the water in the pan hot for reheating the eggs.

To make the hollandaise

  • Step 1

    put the egg yolks and a splash of white wine vinegar in a heatproof bowl, one that fits snugly over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Whisk constantly over a gentle heat until voluminous. Gradually pour in the melted butter, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, glossy sauce (you may not need quite all of the butter).

  • Step 2

    Stir in the mustard, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt to taste.

  • Step 3

    Reheat the eggs in the hot water, then serve 2 cakes each with a slice of ham, a poached egg and drizzle over some of the hollandaise.

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