Irish Mashed Potatoes
Colcannon is an Irish mainstay – mashed potatoes that has an extra vegetable hidden inside the mixture. I’ve seen it made with onions but most of the time cabbage is the mystery ingredient. Amazingly, when you cook the cabbage and potatoes together and mash them you won’t even know the cabbage is there except that the potatoes taste more flavorful. Of course, they are more nutritious, too!
I learned how to make Colcannon from Tommy Nevin’s Pub in Evanston, Illinois back when I lived there many years ago. Try this variation on the classic and then scroll further for ideas on how to use the leftover mash in wonderful ways.
1 lb green cabbage
6 potatoes (Yukon Gold preferably)
1/4 lb butter
dollop of sour cream
1/2 c milk
1/2 slab cream cheese
(no one said it was low-cal, simply nutritious)
salt
pepper
Peel spuds, wedge cabbage, getting rid of core and unsightly outer leaves first, boil in salted water until very tender. Drain and mash a little then add milk, butter, cream cheese and sour cream and mash until very smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!!
To use up all the leftover Colcannon, ladle Irish Stew, chili, or similar over the mixture. Or try this delicious day after brunch treat suggested by the Irish Food Board.
Colcannon Eggs Benedict
- Leftover Colcannon
- A little plain flour, for dusting
- Olive oil, for frying
- 1 tablesp. white wine vinegar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teasp. white wine or tarragon vinegar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 100g unsalted butter
- Fresh watercress sprigs, to serve
To Cook
Shape the Colcannon into four balls, dust with flour and press into neat patties.
Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the patties, then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
To make the poached eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and season with salt and keep at a very gentle simmer. Break the eggs into the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper, trimming away any ragged edges.
To make the hollandaise sauce, place the vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Blend until just combined.
Gently heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and just beginning to foam. Turn on the food processor and with the motor running at medium speed; pour in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream through the feeder tube. Continue to blitz for another 5 seconds and pour back into the pan and stir in the scallions but do not return to the heat. Allow the heat from the pan to finish thickening the sauce as you stir it gently for another minute before serving. Season to taste with salt.
To serve, place a colcannon cake on each warmed plate and place a poached egg on top of each one. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and add a grinding of black pepper to serve.
