I was quite surprised when VeganAide picked this dish for FNF, because it’s just so English and so familiar to me. I used to eat bubble and squeak a lot growing up and I’ve been veganising it myself for years. However, Jamie has a few slightly different methods so I was keen to try it his way as I’ve got a lot of time for both his recipes and his healthy eating campaigns.
My version of bubble and squeak has always used leftover cooked potatoes and vegetables, so in the spirit of that I decided not to buy any vegetables specially for this dish and just use what I had, which happened to be carrots, white cabbage and frozen green beans. I’d normally prefer something more green like kale or brussel sprouts, but this combination worked fine. I left out the chestnuts as Matthew is a hater, but for myself I like the idea of them.
I did have good intentions of making my own sausages, but coincidentally Oativa sent me some of the sausages that they’ve been playing about with to try, so I used those instead. Finally, I totally altered the sauce making method – the sausages needed a quick fry so I did that then used the same pan for a couple of red onions which I cooked slowly, then made the gravy in the same pan, and tossed the sausages back in for a few minutes at the end to heat through. I also used far far less balsamic, probably less than 1 tbsp, and used some seitan cooking broth I had in for the stock.
I really liked this. The bubble and squeak was cooked for longer than I’d probably normally bother, which gave it a nice toasty taste and crispy bits. I’d definitely do it again with my leftover bits and bobs. The sausages were very tasty and a good texture – meaty without trying to imitate meat, if you know what I mean. The gravy worked well with the bubble and squeak but I think any more balsamic would have been total overkill, so I’m keen to see how the others handled that. You can check that out at Tami’s blog.
I think it’s getting due to be my turn to pick the next FNF. Anyone got anything they’d love to see us tackle? You could even join in yourself!
Cooking the Vegan Books 
Bubble & Squeak! Yum!
Your bubble & squeak looks almost too real for me!
How about a burger (in honor of the coming grilling weather)? A lamb burger might be fun to veganize, like this one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/lamb-burgers-with-garlic-yogurt-sauce-and-pita-recipe/index.html
I’m so bummed I missed out on this very English dish. But your version looks and sounds awesome!! I can’t wait to see your next pick!