Colcannon Recipes

Because it is a traditional Irish dish, colcannon is often associated with other St. Patrick’s Day food. The name is derived from the Irish term cál ceannann, which means a cabbage with a white head. As soon as potatoes started to become a staple of European diets from the middle of the 16th century, Irish people have been making and enjoying their particular culinary take on them: colcannon. Both cabbage and kale are used to prepare colcannon. Either one is acceptable, although some family recipes will call for one and not the other.

Today, milk is also often added to help enrich the mash. In some colcannon recipes, you will also find that cream is preferred for an even richer consistency. One variation that is popular is the addition of spring onions or scallions. Colcannon mash can include them, but it doesn’t have to —it just depends on the cook’s preferences.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make colcannon mash. An easy Irish colcannon recipe, you will find it hard to go wrong if you follow these straightforward steps.

1. For a standard portion of colcannon to feed a typical family, take four large white potatoes and peel them. Maris piper potatoes are a good option.
2. Put a large pan of water on the hob and cover it to bring it up to the boil. Add a generous pinch or two of salt.
3. Cut the potatoes into smaller pieces, ensuring they will cook through fully when placed into the water.
4. While waiting for the pan to boil, take between 225 to 250 grams of cabbage or kale and cut it into small pieces, chopping it quite finely to make sure it won’t be too bulky in the resulting mash.
5. When the water is boiling, turn the heat down and carefully transfer the potatoes into the pan, covering them over once more when they’re all in.
6. Continue to simmer the potatoes for 10 minutes. At this point, take the lid off and add the kale or cabbage to the pan.
7. Allow the vegetables to continue simmering for a further 5 to 6 minutes before straining them in a colander.
8. Transfer the strained vegetables back into a pan and mash them with 50 grams of butter until you get a potato mash consistency.
9. Setting the mash to one side, warm 100 ml of milk in a large, non-stick saucepan. At this point, you can add roughly chopped spring onions, but this is optional.
10. Add the mash to the milk and combine all the ingredients together thoroughly for a rich consistency.
11. Season the Irish colcannon mash with salt and pepper, according to taste, and serve with a knob of butter over the top.