In my world, rice makes for a complete meal… which is no surprise being Filipino. But for The Baron, it’s potatoes that completes a meal. This Irish Colcannon is a staple and common Irish dish because it combines a bit of potatoes, cabbage and scallions into a creamy side dish which is a perfect accompaniment or can be hearty enough as a meal on its own…
Take your favorite mashed potato dish and fold in cooked seasoned cabbage, chopped ham and garnish with parsley. That, in essence is colcannon! You can jazz this up with cheese, additional herbs or other meats like bacon or even chopped up kielbasa sausage. It’s that easy and delicious…
recipe from Food Network
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 (1-pound) piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before
4 scallions, finely chopped
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.
Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.
Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.
Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
Serve in individual soup plates. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.
Yummo – it looks delish! We had this several years ago at an Irish Restaurant – great combo of flavors. Thanks for reminding me how good it is (:
I just finished cooking colcannon. But I use bacon instead of ham, and then cook the cabbage in the bacon fat.