Rumbledethumps (V) from Scran
“Rumbledethumps is a traditional Scottish dish of mashed potatoes with onions and cabbage, topped with cheese and baked. The name comes from the sound it makes as the wooden spoon birls (an evocative Scottish word for ‘spins’ or ‘twirls’) around the sides of the pot. As Brussels sprouts are just wee cabbages, I love using them for this dish. It makes a fantastic Christmas side, but as cabbage and sprouts are interchangeable, you can be eating this all year round.” Ali Stoner, author of Scran
Serves 4-6
1kg (2lb 4oz) potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
150ml (5fl oz) double cream
75g (2¾oz) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, finely sliced
500g (1lb 2oz) Brussels sprouts, base trimmed and outer leaves removed, then finely sliced (use a food processor, if you have one)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Large handful of chives, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
For the topping
70g (2½oz) butter
60g (2¼oz) fine-ground oatmeal
40g (1½oz) panko breadcrumbs
Leaves of 6 sprigs of thyme
10 sage leaves, finely sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
90g (3¼oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted cold water and bring to the boil. Cook until very tender, then drain and mash.
Add 100ml (3½fl oz) of the cream, then beat with a wooden spoon and season to taste.
In a separate saucepan, melt the butter with the olive oil over a low heat, then add the onions and sprouts. Cover with the lid and soften, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. When soft, remove the lid, turn the heat up and stir until slightly caramelized. Add to the mash, then ‘rumbledethump’ them together. Add the mustard, chives and remaining cream and season to taste. Set aside.
For the topping, melt the butter in a separate pan, then add all the other ingredients apart from the lemon zest and Cheddar. Toast over a medium heat until lightly golden, then add the zest and Cheddar. Season to taste and mix to combine.
Fill an ovenproof dish with your mash (I use a 23cm/9 inch round dish, 4cm/1½ inches deep), spreading it right to the edges. Cover evenly with the topping. Bake for 40 minutes until golden with a crunchy topping. Serve with anything from roast chicken to steak, but feel free to let this shine as a vegetarian main meal served with a delicious salad.
