Colcannon

About This Recipe

Colcannon is a beloved Irish-British dish of fluffy mashed potatoes folded with tender cooked cabbage or kale, spring onions, and a generous amount of butter and cream. Served with a well of melted butter pooling in the centre, it is pure comfort — a side dish that regularly steals the show and a traditional favourite around Halloween and St. Patrick's Day.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgfloury potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled, quartered
• 300 gSavoy cabbage or kale, shredded
• 6spring onions, thinly sliced
• 100 mlwhole milk, warm
• 60 gbutter, plus extra for serving
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspwhite pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook potatoes

   Boil potatoes in salted water for 15-20 minutes until very tender. Drain well and return to the pot over low heat for 1 minute to dry out.

2. 2

   Cook the cabbage

   Meanwhile, cook shredded cabbage in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Drain thoroughly and press out excess water.

3. 3

   Mash and combine

   Mash potatoes with butter and warm milk until smooth and creamy. Fold in the cabbage and spring onions. Season with salt and white pepper.

4. 4

   Serve

   Pile into a warm serving bowl, make a well in the centre, and drop in a knob of butter to melt into a golden pool. Serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Use curly kale instead of cabbage for a more robust, earthy flavour.

• •

  Fry leftover colcannon in butter as patties for bubble and squeak.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat in a covered dish in the oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes with a splash of milk.