Forever
Blowing
Bubbles

Bubble & Squeak / Egg / Leek

#Story
Time

So the story goes… This is big Stuggy’s dish (Our Head Chef at Junk, Bar & Restaurant) but he had an anxiety attack trying to write a story. So here I am writing a story about something that I will make up on the spot. So I met Stuart McCallion by giving him an interview for a Chef De Partie position (Way, way over qualified!) at a wee job I was head chef for. Incredible CV so got him in immediately! He had a great trial shift, smashed all the prep, smashed service, applying for a position below him! Perfecto. Had a wee sit down after his trial and spoke about everything. Stuart being quite blunt answered with one word answers, Aye, Naw, Fine, Sound... not much else. So offered him money for the trial to go get a wee beer or something afterwords… his answer was something like,”Na mate, dinnae drink anymare, a went absolutely fucking mental for a couple of years and lost my mind.” I do love myself a red flag & warning sign but as the saying goes from Mr Bourdain “Having a sous-chef with excellent cooking skills and a criminal mind is one of God's great gifts.” So anyway I said I’ll be in touch… I think I waited about 30 minutes, maybe less, and gave him a message. “When can you start?”

There are plenty of stories to go about in regards to the big man but there is also plenty of dishes I will have to write more stories for, so the more dishes the more interesting we’ll go. Will this do? Going to have too - it’s this or fuck all.

Cam x

Junk’s Jam:

Serves 4

Hey!

Bubble & Squeak is an all time British classic, isn’t it? I don’t know but anytime Stuart thinks of something he will not let it go until he has made the fecking thing. So here it is, a Junk take on a wee British classic. Love & cabbage!

Equipment…

>Clingfilm
>Kitchen Paper
>Chinoise
>Blender
>ISI Gun with 2 charges, Optional

The Recipe

Stage #1
>the PREP

Bubble & Squeak

2 Ham Hough
4 Baking Potatoes
12 Ratte Potatoes
2 Leeks (Diced)
1 Savoy Cabbage (Roughly Chopped)
400g Smoked Streaky Bacon
(Roughly Chopped)
2 White Onions (Diced)
200g Cheddar Cheese (Grated)

Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Vegetable Oil

  • Boil the Ham Hough til’ the meat falls off the bone. Pick the meat off the bone and set aside.

  • Bake the Baking Potatoes at 280°c for 90 mins and scoop out the fluffy centre.

  • Boil the Ratte Potatoes for 35 mins on a high heat and smash with skin on.

  • In a large pot sauté the chopped Streaky Bacon, sliced White Onion, Leeks and Cabbage until soft - set aside. 

  • Mix everything together well and season. Once cooled enough mix in grated Cheddar.

  • Line a tray with Clingfilm and add the mix. Chill and press in the fridge for 12 hours, ideally overnight .

 
 

Burnt Apple Puree

6 Granny Smith Apples
Lemon Juice
Sugar

  • Roast the Apple in a oven at 200°c for 40 minutes or until black and bubbly.

  • Blend the Apples until smooth, season with Sugar and Lemon Juice.

  • Pass through a Chinoise.

 
 

Apple & Celeriac Pickle

1 Granny Smith Apple (Brunoise)
1/4 Celeriac (Brunoise)
200ml of Pickle Liqour
Equal parts sugar water and white wine vinegar

  • In a bowl mix together the Apple & Celeriac and pour the Pickle Liqour on top.

  • Store in a container with a lid and pop it in the fridge.

 
 

Parsley Oil

300g Parsley
600ml Pomace Oil

  • Blend Parsley and Oil together for 3 mins.

  • Transfer to a pot and bring up to just before boil, about 85°c.

  • Pass the Oil through a Chinoise with a piece of Kitchen Paper inside.

 
 

Poached Eggs

4  Eggs
100ml White Wine Vinegar

  • Bring a large pan of water to the boil with the Vinegar. Add the Eggs and simmer for 3 minutes.  

  • If using straight away, season with Salt.  If not place the Eggs into ice water to cool.

 
 

Olive Oil Espuma

4  Egg Yolk
20g White Wine Vinegar
300g Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Maldon Salt

  • Whisk the Egg Yolk and Vinegar in a bowl over a Ban Marie until the Eggs are fluffy and ribbon like.

  • Take off the heat and slowly pour in the Oil until the sauce is emulsified and light. Season with Salt.

  • Store in a bowl with Clingfilm in a warm place til’ ready. 

 
 

Garnish

Bread Crumbs
Pea Shoots

Stage #2
>Cook it baby!

 

  • Cut the set Bubble and Squeak into little logs, roughly size of a mars bar. Pane in Bread Crumbs .

  • Mix a couple of spoons of the Apple & Celeriac mixture with a little of the Pickle Liquid and some Parsley Oil to make a dressing.

  • Fry the Bubble mix in Oil for 4 mins at 180°c until golden brown and hot in the middle.

  • Drain on Kitchen Paper and season with Maldon Sea Salt.

  • Place the pre Poached Eggs back into hot but not boiling water for 1 min to heat up.

Stage #3
>Assemble