Potatoes, Irish-Style

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A recent online inquiry about cabbage led me to pass along a vague description of the Irish dish Colcannon- potatoes mashed with cabbage. Yesterday, while I was walking through my local farmers market, I saw an especially-nice head of cabbage and decided to make a batch so I could do better than a vague description.

This is very basic food—humble ingredients, cooked simply, that can be a meal itself when you are living low on the hog and the side to something else when you are living high. I generally pair it with pan-grilled sausages—Irish, or British Bangers—or a stew of beef cooked in stout, but I think it would be equally at home next to meatloaf; my friend Martha’s meatloaf, inspired by her honeymoon in Scotland, would be my first choice (In her cook’s notes, she suggests using a slightly fattier ground meat than she did in her first attempt, and based on my making her recipe, I concur.)

By the way, as pointed out to me by another friend, this dish could just as likely be made with kale, which might essentially be the original greens used, given the name Col-cannon. I prefer a waxy potato for mashed potatoes since they have more flavor than russets and need less butter and salt to make them delicious, but there are those who like russets since their fluffy, starchy nature make for the creamiest of mashed potatoes-the choice is yours.

The Irish are well-known for their use of the potato, so I am including another recipe as well, one that is simply mashed potatoes made with milk that has been infused with green onions; there’s nothing novel about this, but the result is very different from the mashed potatoes most of us grew up on.

Colcannon

Traditionally the cabbage and potatoes were cooked together and finished with a good deal of butter; I think cooking the cabbage separately—and for less time—keeps it tasting fresher and cleaner, and requires less butter to bring the dish together.

2 pounds white-, yellow- or red-skinned potatoes, about 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1 medium cabbage, about 1 ½ pounds, coarsely shredded
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter (divided use)
1/3 to ½ cup milk (I heat the milk in the microwave for about 90 seconds so it won’t cool the potatoes)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melted butter, optional
¼ cup sliced green onions or snipped chives, optional

Place the potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt, lower the heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and one tablespoon of the butter over medium heat until it begins to foam up, add the cabbage and toss to coat it well. Season it lightly with salt and cook, stirring, for about ten minutes, lowering the heat if it begins to grab the bottom of the pan. The cabbage should be tender, but with the slightest crispness left to it; keep over low heat until the potatoes are ready.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them (you can pour the cooking water into the serving bowl you’ll be using to pre-heat it) and place back on the burner, shaking the pan over the heat to evaporate any excess moisture. Mash the potatoes, adding the other tablespoon of butter, milk as needed to achieve the desired texture, and salt to taste. Cover and set aside.

Raise the heat under the cabbage and stir for a minute or two to be sure it is good and hot, then remove from the heat and mix in the potatoes. Taste, adding salt if needed, and pepper if desired. Mound the mixture into a serving bowl and, if you like, make a well in the center to hold some melted butter, sprinkle with the onions or chives, and serve.

Serves six

Cally, Stamp, or Just Plain Mashed Potatoes

This is just mashed potatoes pumped-up a bit. Potatoes, being so basic, are open to virtually anything; rather than the green onions, you might like to infuse the milk with fresh herbs—parsley or thyme to enhance spring menus, rosemary or sage in the fall.

Note that the first step is done in advance-an hour or several hours, depending upon your schedule.

1 large bunch green (spring) onions (about a dozen or so onions)
¾ cup milk
2 pounds white-, yellow-, or red-skinned potatoes, about 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, to taste
Salt and black or white pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter, melted, optional

Reserve two of the onions for garnish; cut the remaining onions into 1-inch pieces. Heat the milk to just under boiling and combine with the onions in a jar or covered container and let stand in the refrigerator for at least six hours. Alternately, you can combine the onions and milk and let stand at room temperature for just an hour.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt, lower heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Strain the milk, discarding the onions. Slice the reserved green onions thinly and set aside.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return to the stove, shaking the pan over the heat for a minute or two to evaporate excess water. Mash them, adding the butter, and as much milk as needed to achieve the texture you prefer. Taste, adding additional salt as needed, and pepper if you like.

Place in a serving bowl; drizzle with melted butter if desired and scatter the green onions over the top.

Serves four

 

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Filed under Ireland, potatoes, sides, vegetables

Tags: colcannon, irish cooking, mashed potatoes