This Italian seasonal recipe is like bubble and squeak and one of my favourite dishes. I make it with fresh potatoes and cabbage - I prefer Savoy - and leave them chunky rather than making a fritter. The secret to a full flavour is to sauté the potatoes and cabbage in plenty of olive oil and to leave them to turn really golden, almost burned. A non-stick frying pan is essential.
Time: 30 minutes; Serves 6 as side dish.
Ingedients
● 4 potatoes (King Edward or Maris Piper), peeled and cut into 2cm dice
● 1 Savoy cabbage
● Approx 100 ml of extra-virgin olive oil
● 4 finely sliced cloves of garlic
● 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
● 1 fresh chilli deseeded and finely diced or a pinch of dried chilli (optional)
● Splash of white wine
● Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
● Rinse the potatoes and briefly soak in cold water to get rid of the starch.
● Quarter the cabbage, removing the hard root, then cut it into long strips 2cm wide. Rinse.
● Add a tablespoon of salt to a large pan of water and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes, and after 5 minutes add the cabbage. Stir and parboil, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes until just tender.
● Meanwhile prepare the soffritto (base). Warm the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. You may need two to fit all the vegetables comfortably. Add the garlic, anchovies, red chilli, and after a couple of minutes, the wine. Don't burn the garlic, or it will taste bitter.
● Drain the vegetables and add them to the soffrito over medium heat, season and stir thoroughly. Leave to sauté for 10-12 minutes on medium-high heat until a golden crust forms underneath. Stir only occasionally and add more oil if necessary.
● Serve warm or at room temperature.
