Vegetarian versions of these foods also go well with this simple, traditional dish, which was originally served on Monday - when the women of the household were in any case too busy doing the laundry to give much time to cooking - with the meat leftover from Sunday.

So don't worry too much about the exact proportions of potato and cabbage. It would simply have been a question of what you had left.

Other vegetables such as carrots or peas would also have found their way into this tasty fry-up of leftovers.

Ingredients
450g/1lb potatoes, boiled or steamed, mashed
2oz/55g butter or margarine
250g/8oz cabbage, shredded, and steamed or boiled until tender
2tbsps milk
1 small onion, chopped finely
4tbsp sunflower oil

What to do
Mix together the mashed potatoes, cabbage, milk and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. (If you're using other vegetables, add them now).

Fry the onion in half of the oil until soft but not brown, then add the potato and cabbage mixture and press down to make an even cake.

Cook over a low-to-medium heat for 15 minutes, by which time it should be golden brown underneath.

Place a large plate over the frying pan and turn the mixture onto it, then slide it back into the pan on to the uncooked side.

Let it continue cooking another 15 minutes, turn again onto a plate, cut into wedges and serve immediately.