Colcannon

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The following recipe was adapted from Colman Andrews’ The Country Cooking of Ireland.

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Cooking Level

Foundational | Beginner | INTERMEDIATE | Advanced

Yield: 4-8

Author: Karyn Shalda, Cooking to the Point; Colman Andrews

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Colcannon

A traditional Irish twist on mashed potatoes, resulting in a buttery, savory, and hearty dish that makes a great side dish any time of the year.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 H & 19 M

Ingredients

• 2 - 2 1/2 lbs. russet (or other floury) potatoes
• 6-8 T butter
• 2-3 lightly-packed cups of chopped kale (or other assorted chopped greens such as spinach, parsley, or broccoli/cauliflower leaves)
• 1 1/3 c milk
• 4 scallions (green onions), green part only, minced
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• Extra butter for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the 2 - 2 1/2 lbs. potatoes into a large pot, cutting the potatoes into chunks if necessary so all are roughly the same size. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
2. Add water to come halfway up the potatoes and cover with tight-fitting lid; bring to a boil over high heat.
3. When the water begins to boil, carefully drain off about half of it, then return the pot to the heat. Cover again, reduce the heat to low, and allow the potatoes to steam for about 40-50 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
4. Turn off the heat, cover the potatoes with a clean damp tea towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes more.
5. Melt 4 t of butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the 2-3 c chopped kale or greens and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes.
6. Combine the 1 1/3 c milk, 4 minced scallions in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the greens and stir well. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and set aside.
7. Drain and carefully peel the potatoes. This can be done by using a paring knife and a tea towel to rub the skins off. Once peeled, return the potatoes to the pot. 
8. Add the greens and their liquid to the potatoes and mash until smooth, leaving a few small lumps in the potatoes. 
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. To serve in the traditional Irish manner, make a small crater in the middle of the potatoes and place a pat of butter inside. Dip each forkful of colcannon into the butter as you eat.

Notes:

This recipe is adapted from the book, "The Country Cooking of Ireland" by Colman Andrews.

Created using The Recipes Generator

St. Patrick’s Day is approaching. Everybody thinks about drinking and shamrocks and wearing green when this Irish holiday swings around, but I always think about traditional Irish music, and traditional Irish food.

Colcannon is something I happened upon when I was looking for something to cook for my husband and I for St. Patrick’s Day other than corned beef and cabbage. Colcannon is basically mashed potatoes with greens in it, but the way this recipe is made is just oh so tasty and I had to share it with you.

This recipe originally comes from a post I found on the Nest, but it’s sadly since been taken down. However, I was able to find it using the Wayback Machine, and it comes from the book “The Country Cooking of Ireland” by Colman Andrews.