Irish Colcannon

Simply put, there is something to be said about a great bowl of mashed potatoes. I have a variety of recipes on this site, however, there are only a couple that I really go to, the ones that I find to be super comforting, and the ones that go great with most every comfort dish you could imagine.

Then, along came colcannon. Do not get startled on the fancy name. It basically means killer mashed potatoes with kale, or cabbage for that matter, however my preference leans towards the great color of kale.

There is nothing too fancy about this dish, but I must say, this Irish colcannon is a huge favorite in this house, and what a great way to get some great greens in along the way. Let’s call them healthy mashed potatoes, and the greens always make up for the butter!

Lets get started.

• 8 russet potatoes, peeled, and quartered
• 1 lb of kale, cleaned, and thick stems removed, chopped
• 2/3 cup of whole milk
• 1/4 of a small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 tbsp of unsalted butter, plus 1 tbsp melted butter for each serving

Begin by adding your potatoes to a large pot of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reducing the heat to medium, and slightly uncovered as to not boil over. Cook until fork tender, roughly 25 minutes.

In the meantime, add the milk and onions to a sauce pan, and cook on medium to low heat to warm everything through.

To another small pot of water, add the chopped kale, and bring to a boil, then cover, reducing the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes.

Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain, and return them back to the pot on the stove. Allow to let the potatoes cook, evaporating the rest of the water. Strain the kale and squeeze out any moisture by gently pushing on it with the back of a spoon.

Get your masher out, toss in the four tablespoons of butter. Add in the milk and onion mixture, and begin to mash into a nice creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and mix again.

Add in the kale, and mix until everything is incorporated. Taste. Season with any additional salt and pepper.

To plate, add a bit to a small bowl, make an indention into the center, and add in one tablespoon of melted butter.

The Irish colcannon is really amazing. Like I said, the addition of kale, and the warmed onion and milk mixture make this truly comforting. Oh yeah, and if you are wanting to bring it up to another level, add a bit of cooked, crisp bacon. Well, that is for another day. Enjoy.

If you like these, you will also like the awesome Irish Champ.