**Colcannon: A Traditional Irish Dish with Modern Variations**
Colcannon is a hearty and comforting Irish dish that is traditionally made with mashed potatoes, kale, and cabbage. It is a staple of Irish cuisine and is often served on special occasions such as St. Patrick's Day. In this article, we will introduce you to the classic colcannon recipe as well as some creative variations that add a modern twist to this traditional dish. From the classic colcannon to versions featuring dandelion greens, chard, and even sweet potatoes, these recipes offer a range of flavors and textures to suit every palate. So, whether you are looking for a traditional Irish meal or a unique and flavorful side dish, you're sure to find a colcannon recipe here that you'll love.
COLCANNON
Steps:
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Add them to a Dutch oven and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and set aside.
- In the same Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cabbage or mixture of greens, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage mixture ;is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the green onions for garnish and add the remaining green onion and garlic into the cabbage mixture. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the half-and-half and cook 2 to 3 minutes until warm. Add the potatoes, then mash and stir until the mixture is well combined. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Transfer the colcannon to a serving dish and top with more butter, if preferred. Sprinkle with the reserved 1/4 cup green onions.
COLCANNON
Provided by Food Network
Time 2h
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- 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.
GREEN MASHED POTATOES
These addictive mashed potatoes are equal parts potatoes and greens, lending texture and fresh flavor to the classic side dish. The amount of oil here is significant, but we all know that what makes mashed potatoes really good is fat. Use the best olive oil you have. (For everything you need to know to make perfect potatoes, visit our potato guide.)
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories side dish
Time 45m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Put potatoes in a large, deep pot and cover them with cold water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook until soft but not falling apart, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain; meanwhile, add greens to water and cook for about 1 minute. Rinse under cold water. Drain well, then chop.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rice potatoes, run them through a food mill, or mash them with a fork or potato masher, adding enough olive oil to moisten them well. Mash in the greens, adding more olive oil as needed. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.
- Put mixture in an ovenproof dish and top with bread crumbs. Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake until bread crumbs are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 404, UnsaturatedFat 18 grams, Carbohydrate 45 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 639 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams
CARROT, PARSNIP AND POTATO COLCANNON
Carrots and parsnips, whose flavors are quite similar, outweigh the potatoes in this sweet, light colcannon. Because parsnips can be fibrous, this is one instance where I recommend straining the mixture or putting it through a food mill.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Time 45m
Yield Serves 6
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Place potatoes, carrots, and parsnips in a saucepan and cover by an inch with water. Add salt to taste, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cover partially. Simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, return to pot and cover pot tightly. Leave to steam in covered pot for 5 minutes. Peel potatoes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet and add leek. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to cook, stirring, until very tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Mash vegetables with a potato masher or in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, or put through a food mill. Combine milk and butter and heat until butter melts. Gradually add to purée, stirring or beating on low speed. Stir in leeks and mix until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put through the fine or medium blade of a food mill, or press through a medium-mess strainer. Garnish if desired with dill or chervil. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 216, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 33 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 588 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams
MASHED POTATOES WITH KALE (COLCANNON)
Colcannon is one of the great signature dishes of Ireland. The most common version pairs cabbage with potatoes, but the dish is also made with kale, and that's the one I usually make. You can substitute extra virgin olive oil for the butter (in which case it will be more Mediterranean than Irish).
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Time 1h15m
Yield Serves 4 to 6
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Cover the potatoes with water in a saucepan, add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover partially and cook until tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, about 30 to 45 minutes. Drain off the water, return the potatoes to the pan, cover tightly and let steam over very low heat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher or a fork, through a food mill or in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, while still hot.
- While the potatoes are cooking bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the kale. Fill a bowl with ice and water. Cook the kale for 4 to 6 minutes (after the water returns to the boil), until the leaves are tender but still bright green. Transfer to the ice water, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop fine (you can use a food processor).
- Towards the end of the potato cooking time, combine the milk and the scallions in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for a few minutes. Stir the chopped kale into the hot mashed potatoes and beat in the milk and butter or olive oil. The mixture should be fluffy (you can do this in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle). Add salt to taste and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot, right away, or keep warm in a double boiler: set the bowl in a saucepan filled one third of the way with water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer. Stir the potato and kale mixture from time to time.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 215, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 37 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 663 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CARROT, PARSNIP AND POTATO COLCANNON
In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I was playing around with colcannon, thinking it would be nice to make this year's mashed potatoes with a twist. Colcannon is an Irish dish that traditionally pairs mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale. I decided to broaden the range of combinations, choosing different vegetables to mix with the potatoes, and used carrots and parsnips to great effect. Carrots and parsnips, whose flavors are quite similar, outweigh the potatoes in this sweet, light version. Scallions are traditional in colcannon, but I wanted something with a bit more substance, so I used leeks instead. I cooked them until soft in a little olive oil and stirred them into the purée with warm milk and butter. The resulting mashed potatoes are beautiful, delicious and healthful, too. Because parsnips can be fibrous, I recommend straining the purée or putting it through a food mill.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, lunch, vegetables, side dish
Time 45m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Place potatoes, carrots and parsnips in a saucepan and cover by an inch with water. Add salt to taste, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cover partly. Simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, return to pot and cover pot tightly. Leave to steam in covered pot for 5 minutes. Peel potatoes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet and add leek. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue to cook, stirring, until very tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Mash vegetables with a potato masher or in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, or put through a food mill. Combine butter and milk and heat until butter melts. Gradually add to purée, stirring or beating on low speed. Stir in leeks and mix until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put through the fine or medium blade of a food mill, or press through a medium-mesh strainer. Garnish if desired with dill or chervil. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 216, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 33 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 588 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams
COLCANNON WITH CRISPY LEEKS
An Irish dish of mashed potatoes and greens, colcannon is one of the most nourishing, comforting dishes you could make. The fried leeks aren't traditional: Usually, the alliums are stewed more slowly in butter, if they're used at all. But they lend a deeper flavor, and a crisp, savory finish. For a full meal, crown it with a fried egg or some smoked salmon, or serve a simple green salad on the side. (This recipe is part of the From the Pantry series, started in the days after the coronavirus lockdown.)
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, vegetables, main course
Time 45m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a medium pot, combine the potatoes with enough water to cover them by 2 inches and a large pinch of salt. Boil until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter, along with a drizzle of oil, then add leeks and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat for 5 or so minutes. When the leeks are golden, spoon some out onto a plate to use for garnish.
- To the leeks in the pan, add the garlic cloves, and cook them for a minute until fragrant. Then, toss in the greens. Season with more salt and cook, tossing them, until the greens are wilted and very tender. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water.
- Now add the potatoes to the skillet and mash them (so they're either smooth or chunky), and add some milk or vegetable broth, if you like, and a lot of butter. Taste, and add more salt and lots of pepper. Scatter on the fried leeks and more butter to melt in little pools across the top.
- Top with a fried egg or some smoked salmon, or serve a simple green salad on the side.
Tips:
- Select the right potatoes: Choose firm, starchy potatoes that will hold their shape when cooked, such as Russet or Yukon Gold.
- Boil the potatoes correctly: Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly.
- Mash the potatoes smoothly: Use a potato masher or ricer to mash the potatoes until smooth. Avoid over-mashing, as this will make the potatoes gluey.
- Use fresh herbs: Fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or thyme add a burst of flavor to colcannon. Chop the herbs finely before adding them to the potatoes.
- Don't overcook the greens: If using dandelion greens or kale, cook them briefly until they are just wilted. Overcooked greens will be tough and bitter.
- Add butter and milk for richness: Butter and milk add richness and creaminess to colcannon. Stir them in until the potatoes are well combined.
Conclusion:
Colcannon is a comforting and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a main course or side dish. With its combination of creamy potatoes, flavorful greens, and savory bacon, it's a hearty and delicious meal that is perfect for any occasion. Whether you're using traditional cabbage or trying a variation with dandelion greens or kale, colcannon is sure to be a hit with your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a comforting and satisfying meal, give colcannon a try!
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