Colcannon
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I decided to prepare Colcannon for St. Patrick’s Day this year based on what 53% of my ancestors may likely have eaten. Fifty-three percent of my Irish ancestors, that is, according to my Ancestry.com DNA.
I suppose I won’t be trading in a kilt for lederhosen anytime soon if you’ve seen the commercials of the many folks sharing their big Ancestry.com surprises on what their ancestry actually is.
Colcannon is a simple, hearty dish whose culinary history even marks it as a dish of Ireland and so to me that makes it special. Colcannon generally consists of boiled potatoes mashed with butter and cream combined with cabbage and a type of onion such as leek, green onion, or bulb onion. It really is quite delicious, and easy enough to prepare.
With many a choice of beautiful Irish Blessings and Toasts along with the Colcannon, I’ll share,
May you have
A world of wishes at your command.
God and his angels close at hand.
Friends and family their love impart,
and Irish blessings in your heart!
Wishing you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Slainte.
Love, Peggy
Colcannon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes
- 6 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup or a bit less milk
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, more or less to desired taste
- 1 leek, dark green tops removed, light green bottom part sliced thinly into circles, cleaned well
- 3 cups fresh sliced cabbage
Instructions
- Boil even sized chunks of potatoes in water until very tender, drain, return potatoes to pot and heat on top of burner shaking pan to dry potatoes a bit.
- Use a masher or electric beater to mash potatoes, add in 6 tablespoons butter, cream, and milk blending well before each addition. Sprinkle in the salt, check seasoning, adjust to taste.
- In a saute pan, melt 2 more tablespoons butter and on low heat cook leeks until soft, around four minutes, add in the cabbage and cook another ten minutes until cabbage is soft and cooked but not overdone.
- Blend the mashed potatoes with the leek and cabbage mixture, portion into individual bowls, making a little well in the center of each and pouring in a little melted butter, serve hot straight away.
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