Because I could only find a whole savoy cabbage I still had three quarters of the head left when it came to deciding on a vegetable to go with my Friday fish pie.
Normally I just have a rough-chopped tomato salad, and we’re at the height of the tomato season here, so that would have been a good choice. But, I was determined to use up my cabbage.
The Internet failed me for once, seeming to offer very little that would be suitable as a fish accompaniment. I searched my cupboard for a can of walnuts (walnut halves boiled with cabbage makes a wonderful side dish) to no avail. So, the mother of invention mode switched in and I decided to try to reconstruct the cabbage patties my mother used to make. Basically, boiled cabbage, mashed potato, a little sliced onion, and white pepper. I particularly remember the white pepper.
When you get down to it there’s nothing to say about mixing the ingredients up and frying them in a very little oil until both sides are crispy-crunchy. The only problem I had was with the mashed potato. Not a scrap, and if I’m to make my small store of jacket potatoes last me through to Monday, not a spud in the cupboard.
Then I made a splendid, useful discovery. Languishing in the freezer was a pack of McCain Oven Chips. Eureka! Chips are nothing more than mashed potato in another form. So I took a small handful, set them on a saucer to thaw through and, when I had the other ingredients ready, I smashed them up, stirred ‘em in, and flattened the mix into two decent sized patties [think of a 'pattie' or 'patty' as a 'burger' if it helps]. No breadcrumbs ready, so I glazed them with egg and set them to fry gently while the (store-bought) fish pie heated up in the oven.
Delicious! Followed up with two large ripe yellow plums and I was ready to sit down and watch the first episode of the new Tudors series with a comfortable and mightily content tummy.
Now there are only two quarters of that cabbage left. I am pondering that one.
