Britain and Germany come together in this rehash with a brat-based venison bubble and squeak.

Oh, bubble and squeak. It’s the quintessential British holiday leftover, traditionally consisting of potatoes and cabbage but is really just potatoes mixed with whatever is leftover from your holiday dinner. You kind of just throw it all in there. This means there really are endless variations to this dish.

venison bubble and squeak

I’ve been wanting to make bubble and squeak but wanted a little more creative variation to it, especially since it isn’t exactly roast season in Texas for another two months or so. Oktoberfest provided the perfect backdrop! The ingredients are the same, just with more vinegar and some leftover bratwurst thrown in. I wasn’t exactly sure how this would turn out; sauerkraut in bubble and squeak? The result ended up pretty delicious. Tangy from the sauerkraut but sweet from the potatoes.

If you don’t have leftover German potato salad, just boil some red potatoes and gently mash up with a little sugar and apple cider vinegar. You could even throw in a little mustard. (I did not, but am kind of wishing I had.)

Venison bubble and Squeak

Despite my adjustments, the dish did, in fact, squeak as it started cooking. I suggest using a cast iron skillet for this one. You want it to get nice and hot, and that way if you get tired of letting it sit, then mixing, then letting it sit, etc, you can always finish it in the oven to get everything to crisp up. This is super great as its own meal, as a side, or even as breakfast with a fried egg on top.

Post Oktoberfest Bubble and Squeak

Ingredients

  • 6-8 red potatoes, boiled (or german potato salad)
  • 1 cup saurkraut
  • 1.5-2 Leftover brats (quartered and diced)
  • 1/4 cup white sugar (if not using potato salad)
  • splash apple cider vinegar (if not using potato salad)
  • 2 tablespoons oil, butter, duck fat, lard (any oil/fat with flavor)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat (about a 4-5). Add the diced bratwurst, tossing occasionally, and cook until the fat starts to render out and they start to brown and crisp up.
Step 2
Meanwhile, mix the boiled potatoes, sugar, cider vinegar, and sauerkraut and gently mash together like a loose mashed potato. When the bratwurst is crispy, transfer to the potato mash and mix until combine, making sure to leave plenty of fat in the skillet.
Step 3
Depending on how much fat rendered from the sausages, add 1-2 T of a flavorful fat to the pan. Put the potato mixture in the pan and flatten like a giant thick pancake. Let cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom starts to brown.
Step 4
Flip the mixture around, pat down and let cook another 4-5 minutes. Keep doing this, turning the mixture and re-patting it down as it browns on the bottom, being careful not to let it burn. It's done when most of the mixture is a golden brown color with crispy bits throughout. Serve warm.

Non-game substitution: This begs for bratwurst, but any German sausage will work.

Vegetarian substitution: You can make this just as well with no meat at all. (Most bubble and squeak is meat-free.)

Posted in Venison
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2 Comments on "Nurse your Oktoberfest Hangover with a Re-hash"

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Ceil Vossmey7er

My mother, your great grandmother used to make this. She used it with whatever leftovers were there, usually on Thursday, but always potatoes,,even fresh ones. Brings back memories and sounds good.