Colcannon is a hearty Irish dish that combines kale (or cabbage) with mashed potatoes. There are four main ingredients in Colcannon; potatoes, kale, milk and butter. The dish should be served with extra pats of butter on top so that they melt over the Colcannon while it is being served. Ok, so this is not one of my healthier dishes but even my keto loving husband had to stick a fork in the Colcannon after I made it. The white potatoes mixed with the green kale and melted butter on top is quite irresistible. It is absolutely delicious to grab a forkful of the potatoes and kale and dip it in the melted butter. If you serve colcannon in individual portions it makes it even easier to achieve this experience. Try serving the Colcannon in individual ramekins with a pat of butter on top.
What should I serve with the Colcannon?
Typically Colcannon is served with ham, sausages or corned beef. It would also make a nice side dish with stew. If you’re looking to keep the main dish a little lighter then broiled salmon with a lemon sauce would work well.
Tips for making great mashed potatoes:
You must dry the potatoes after you boil them and before you mash them. When the potatoes are tender drain the water and put the potatoes back into the pot over a low flame to remove excess water. Stir the potatoes over the heat for a few minutes to dry them out. This step will insure that you you have fluffy, light mashed potatoes. If your mashed potatoes are dense and gummy it’s because there was too much water left in the potatoes.
Return the potatoes to the pot after draining the water. Stir over low heat to remove excess water before mashing potatoes.
Colcannon
Ingredients
- 1½ lb yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter portioned
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1¾ cups chopped kale hard stem removed, chopped and loosely packed
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 scallion trimmed 1 inch from top and bottom and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Put potatoes in a pot and add cold water to cover
- bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender
- strain potatoes and return them to the pot and place over low heat to remove excess water
- after a few minutes remove potatoes and place on side
- melt 3 tablespoons of butter in pot
- add chopped kale and saute for a few minutes until soft
- add milk and cream
- add potatoes and mash with a potato masher
- mix in salt and pepper
- place colcannon in a bowl
- make 2 depressions on the top and put a pat of butter in each one
- scatter sliced scallions on top and serve