Colcannon | Delicious Mashed Potatoes, Ireland

Colcannon (pronounced kaal-cannon) is a traditional Irish dish mainly consisting of mashed potatoes, kale or cabbage.

With kale being in season and all the rage with culinarians everywhere, this is a great way of serving it up without all the fuss. Colcannon like many old world foods has many regional variations ranging from the addition of bacon, ham hocks and substituting green onions with leeks.

This recipe is the 'no frills' authentic version however I do deviate from the traditional by choosing to not boil the cabbage (which I think does it no good) but rather sautéing the it in a bit of butter to a wilt, sautéing the green onions with and then adding hot boiled potatoes for the mashing.

The one thing that is indisputable is the copious amounts of butter that is required to make these fluffy mashed potatoes a delight. In fact the traditional way it is served is hot, with a crater in the middle filled with hot melted butter.

I don't know about you but I think that everything is better with buttah and these leafy filled mashed potatoes are no exception!

warmly,

Devaki

Recipe for

Colcannon | Delicious Mashed Potatoes, Ireland

Serves 4

Shopping list:

4 large Russet potatoes

5-6 cups finely shredded cabbage

3 tbsp. butter, unsalted

8 green onions (scallions)

1 tbsp. salt

1 cup milk or half & half

To drizzle & serve:

2-4 tbsp. butter or more, melted

Preparation:

Potatoes - Peel & cut into large chunks. Rinse and drain away water.

Green onions – Use tender green leaves as well. Cut away roots and finely cut into thin circles.

Method:

Put the potatoes in a medium heavy bottom pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch.

Add salt and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Cover with lid – leave small gap to allow steam to escape. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are fork tender (15 to 20 minutes). Drain in a colander. Cover colander with a clean towel to keep warm.

Return the pot and dry with a paper towel if wet. Heat on medium heat, add 2 tbsp. butter. As soon as it melts add cabbage and sauté for 3 minutes until it wilts. Cover and steam for another 2 minutes till soft. Add the green onions and sauté for about 2 minutes or so until the green onions wilt. Reduce heat to low.

Add the potatoes to the pan. Add the milk and break down the potatoes with a fork as much as possible. Finish mashing with a potato with a potato masher till smooth.

Cook's Note: Do not use a motorized whisk or food processor to mash the potatoes. The fat cells break down far too rapidly turning the potatoes into a gummy paste.

Taste and adjust salt and the consistency.\

Make Ahead Tips: If prepared earlier in the day, keep warm in a slow cooker or crock pot. I do not recommend refrigerating potatoes as they taste mealy.

To serve: Melt 2-4 tbsp. butter (your choice how rich you want it). Pile the potatoes in a serving bowl or platter. Using a spoon create a crater in the middle and pour melted butter.

Serve immediately or warm.

Enjoy!

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