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What is exactly Irish Mashed Potatoes Colcannon?
Colcannon is a beloved Irish dish that combines fluffy mashed potatoes with tender cabbage or kale, creating a rich, creamy, and flavorful side.
This traditional comfort food is especially popular during colder months and is often served on St. Patrick’s Day or Halloween, bringing warmth and tradition to the table.
Irish Mashed Potatoes Colcannon Recipe (Video)
| Prep time | Cook Time | Rest Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 min | 30 min | - | 40 min |
The simplicity of Colcannon is what makes it truly special. Made with butter, milk, and green onions, it is a dish that perfectly represents Irish cuisine—humble yet incredibly satisfying. While some versions include bacon or ham for added depth, the traditional recipe keeps it vegetarian, allowing the natural flavors of the potatoes and greens to shine.
A Dish with Irish Folklore
Colcannon isn’t just food—it comes with a bit of Irish superstition too! In the past, it was common to hide small charms, such as rings or coins, inside the dish. Finding a ring meant marriage was on the horizon, while a coin symbolized good fortune.
Whether enjoyed as a side dish with stew or on its own with a generous knob of butter melting in the middle, Colcannon remains a true taste of Ireland.
A Little History
Colcannon in Irish language is cál ceannann, which meaning is white-headed cabbage. Is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale.
Colcannon is typically made with four ingredients: potatoes, butter, milk, and cabbage (or kale). Patrick Weston Joyce, an Irish historian, defined it as “mashed potatoes with butter and milk, with chopped up cabbage and pot herbs.”
Other ingredients may include scallions (spring onions), leeks, laverbread, onions, and chives. Some recipes call for cabbage instead of kale. This popular dish has many regional variations. It was a low-cost, year-round food.
It’s frequently served
with boiled ham, salt pork, or Irish bacon. It goes well with corned beef and cabbage as a side dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook
the peeled potatoes in a covered pan of boiling salted water.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.Meanwhile, cook the kale also. In a pan with a lid, melt a knob of butter with two tablespoons of water.
Add the finely shredded kale once the butter has melted and formed an emulsion.
Season with salt.Cover with a lid, shake well, and cook for 1 minute on high heat.
After one minute shake the pan again and then cook for another minute. After one minute drain off any excess liquid and season the kale with freshly ground black pepper.Drain the potatoes, then mash them with the milk and the remaining butter until smooth and creamy.
After taste testing season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary.Make a well in the center to serve Colcannon, and add a knob of butter, which as it melts adds to the delicious flavours of this traditional Irish dish.
Melted butter and Colcannon are a match made in heaven.
Enjoy, Good Appetite!
