All of the joy I associate with bubble and squeak, but with an Italian accent.
Serves 4
potatoes 150g, peeled
savoy cabbage 200g
plain flour 90g
polenta flour 60g
bicarbonate of soda a pinch
buttermilk 300g
eggs 2
olive oil
salt and pepper
eggs 4, for frying
strong, hard cheese to taste
dried chilli 1, crushed
Boil and roughly mash the potatoes. Shred the cabbage and then boil it for 5 minutes. Drain it thoroughly.
Mix the flours and bicarb together. Beat the buttermilk and the 2 eggs together with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix in the flour, 2 good pinches of salt, a grind of pepper and finally the vegetables. Set aside to rest a moment.
When you are ready to eat, fry a ladle of batter in a heavy-bottomed pan in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Do this a ladleful at a time. Then, fry 4 eggs in more olive oil over a medium heat, seasoned and topped with shards of strong cheese and a pinch of chilli.
Serve the pancakes, warmed in the oven if necessary, with the eggs on the top.
Joe Trivelli is co-head chef at the River Café, London W6
