Traditional Irish Colcannon
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/irish-recipes-colcannon-recipe-435743-hero-01-5beef82ec9e77c0051321bcd.jpg)
The Spruce
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
218 | Calories |
4g | Fat |
41g | Carbs |
6g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4 to 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 218 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 4g | 5% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
Cholesterol 10mg | 3% |
Sodium 59mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate 41g | 15% |
Dietary Fiber 5g | 19% |
Total Sugars 3g | |
Protein 6g | |
Vitamin C 30mg | 152% |
Calcium 73mg | 6% |
Iron 3mg | 15% |
Potassium 1098mg | 23% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Colcannon is a favorite Irish recipe made of potatoes, dairy, and cabbage or kale. Although usually associated with Saint Patrick's Day, colcannon is actually most seen on Irish tables on Halloween nights when the cook hides little trinkets in the mash, each representing fortune, poverty, or perhaps the chance of a future marriage.
There are as many recipes for this mashed potato dish as there are cooks in Ireland. Each household and region has a favorite way of cooking the colcannon. What seems to be commonplace in all of them is the presence of generous amounts of butter, potatoes and dairy, and cabbage or kale as the vegetable of choice to add volume and flavor to this tasty preparation.
For the perfect colcannon, choose floury potatoes, as these have more starch and less water and produce a fluffier mash. Varieties like Rosamunda, Desiree, Melody, Blue Congo, King Edward, Maris Piper, or Early Puritan are excellent potatoes for this dish. Serve the colcannon with boiled ham, Irish bacon, corned beef, Irish stew, or lamb chops for a hearty and flavorful true Irish meal.
Click Play to See This Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe Come Together
"Everyone loves mashed potatoes, but not everyone loves kale. But mix them together with plenty of butter, and you have a versatile, nutritious side dish that everyone will like. We enjoyed this dish and it was easy to make. We served it with baked salmon, but any protein would work well." —Danielle Centoni
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/irish-recipes-colcannon-recipe-435743-d-centoni-2020-edit-75fbb76979d247c599b1feeca8ee3623.jpg)
Ingredients
-
1 dash salt, plus more to taste
-
2 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (22 ounces)
-
4 ounces curly kale, chopped and stems removed (about 1/2 bunch)
-
2 spring onions, roughly chopped (1/2 cup)
-
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
-
1 spring onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
-
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-
2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, optional for serving
Steps to Make It
-
Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce -
Lightly salt a pot of hot water and simmer the potatoes until soft in the middle when pierced with a sharp knife.
The Spruce -
In a different pot, blanch the curly kale in boiling water for 1 minute.
The Spruce -
Drain the kale and reserve.
The Spruce -
Place the 1/2 cup of roughly chopped spring onions and the blanched kale into a blender and pulse for 10 seconds until roughly mixed. (You want the vegetables to have some texture.)
The Spruce -
Drain the potatoes and add 4 ounces of butter.
The Spruce -
Mash the potatoes and butter until smooth and creamy.
The Spruce -
Add the kale and spring onion mixture and stir well.
The Spruce -
Add the 1/4 cup of finely chopped spring onions and season with salt and pepper to taste.
The Spruce -
Top the mash with the optional 2 ounces of butter, if desired. Serve and enjoy.
The Spruce
Recipe Variations
- Cabbage Colcannon: If finding fresh seasonal kale is not possible, replace it with shredded cabbage. Use a dark green leafy cabbage, such as Savoy or spring cabbage, soften it in a tablespoon of butter, and then briefly pulse it with the spring onions as you'd do with the kale.
- Colcannon Cakes: A lovely and delicious alternative to colcannon is to shape it into cakes. For every 3 cups of colcannon, you'll need 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 egg, and an extra dash of salt and pepper. Mix everything, shape the mash like cakes, and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides. Top them with a poached egg and a dollop of hollandaise sauce. Making these cakes is also a great way of using up leftovers.
- Bacon Colcannon: Fry 3 to 4 slices of bacon in a pan until crispy. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and discard the rest. Follow the recipe as instructed, but use 3 tablespoons of butter and the reserved tablespoon of fat to mash the potatoes. Mix the mash with the vegetables, and top with the bacon and just a small knob of butter instead of 2 full ounces.
Why Is It Called Colcannon?
Colcannon's name comes from the Gaelic cál and caineann, which stand for cabbage (or kale) and leek, respectively. Other linguistic interpretations of the name point to "white-headed cabbage."
What's the Difference Between Champ and Colcannon?
Champ and colcannon are both favorite Irish mashed potato dishes. They're very similar, though champ recipes tend to feature spring onions (scallions) alone, while colcannon adds cabbage, kale, or leeks.