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Colcannon
Mashed potato with kale
Cál ceannann: buttery mashed potato with kale or cabbage and spring onion
Colcannon is the Halloween potato dish of Ireland, from Munster farmhouses to Dublin kitchens, where a ring or a coin was once hidden in the bowl to tell fortunes. Floury potatoes are mashed with hot milk, a lot of butter and dark leafy kale or green cabbage, so it is creamy, green-flecked and savoury. Serve it with a well of melted butter in the middle, alongside sausages or a nut roast. Chef's tip: warm the milk with the spring onions before mashing; cold milk makes the mash gluey and tastes flat.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb potatoesfloury, such as Rooster or Maris Piper, peeled and halved
- 7 oz curly kale or savoy cabbagestalks removed, finely shredded
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 4 spring onionsfinely sliced
- 2 ⅞ oz butterdivided
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 pinch grated nutmegopt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the 2 ¼ lb potatoes in a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 18–20 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance.
22 minStep 2: Meanwhile cook the 7 oz curly kale or savoy cabbage in a little boiling water or a knob of the ⅔ oz butter for 4–5 minutes, until tender and bright green. Drain well and squeeze out the water.
5 minStep 3: Warm the ¾ cup whole milk with the 4 spring onions in a small pan for 3 minutes, until steaming.
3 minStep 4: Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry in the pan for 2 minutes, then mash until smooth. A common mistake is using a blender, which turns potatoes to glue.
4 minStep 5: Beat in the hot milk and onions, half the remaining 1 ⅜ oz butter, the greens, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp white pepper and 1 pinch grated nutmeg.
2 minStep 6: Pile into a warm dish, make a well in the centre and drop in the rest of the ⅔ oz butter to melt into a pool.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does colcannon take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of curly kale or savoy cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
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