Colcannon
Mashed potatoes folded with shredded cabbage or kale that's been wilted in butter, finished with a generous pour of warm milk and a slick of melting butter on top. Irish home cooking at its plainest and best; eats as a main with a fried egg or alongside almost anything.
Overview
Floury potatoes boil; cabbage or kale wilts in butter with spring onions; the lot is mashed with hot milk and lots of butter. The cabbage softens but keeps a little texture; the mash should be smooth, with green flecks throughout.
Ingredients
- 1 kg floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward; peeled and cubed)
- 80 g unsalted butter (plus more to melt on top)
- 6 spring onions (sliced; or 1 small leek, white and pale green only)
- 300 g savoy cabbage (or kale, tough stems removed; shredded)
- 200 ml whole milk (warmed)
- salt
- pepper
- A grating of nutmeg
Method
Stage 1 - Potatoes
- Boil the potatoes in salted water 15-18 minutes until completely tender - a knife should slide through with no resistance.
- Drain and return to the dry pan; cover with a clean tea towel for 5 minutes (draws steam off).
Stage 2 - Greens
- While the potatoes cook, melt 30 g of the butter in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Cook the spring onions or leek 2 minutes.
- Add the cabbage or kale; cook 5-6 minutes, stirring, until wilted and bright. Add a tablespoon of water if it sticks.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Stage 3 - Mash
- Mash the potatoes with the remaining 50 g of butter and the warm milk; should be smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the cabbage and spring onions.
- Grate in nutmeg; taste; adjust salt and pepper.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Pile into bowls; press a small well in the centre and drop in a knob of butter to melt.
- Eat immediately while everything is hot.
Notes
- Floury potatoes only: Waxy ones go gluey when mashed.
- Warm the milk: Cold milk turns hot mash into cool mash. Warm in a small pan or microwave first.
- Kale or cabbage: Both traditional. Kale gives slightly more bite; savoy cabbage softens more readily.
Storage
- Best fresh. Leftover colcannon refrigerates 2 days; reheat in a buttered pan over medium heat (panfried colcannon cakes are a worthy second meal).
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