Recipe: Colcannon

Here in the United States, corned beef and cabbage has a big reputation for being the most Irish of Irish foods for St. Patrick's Day. Perhaps, at least here in the United States and for Irish Americans, that's true. According to Wikipedia, Irish immigrants used corned beef for a substitute for bacon starting in the 1880's.

While anyone who's had a well-cooked corned beef brisket can tell you that it's delicious, ask around about real Irish food outside of the United States, and you'll hear about colcannon.

Colcannon is essentially a staple dish based around mashed potatoes and chopped green vegetables, such as leeks and kale. It's a classic comfort food, great as a side or a main dish, and delicious all year round. Even left-over, it's difficult to go wrong with a bit of colcannon.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs red potatoes with skins on, cut into cubes
• 1 lb kale, roughly chopped
• 1-2 sticks of butter
• 4 oz of cream
• Salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Roughly chop kale and boil in lightly salted water until it darkens, but retains some texture. Drain and set aside.

Leave red potatoes in their skins and boil in a large pot until soft enough to cut with the edge of a spoon. Drain and move into a large, deep bowl. Pour 1 stick of melted butter over potatoes. Mash and mix by hand, adding cream slowly until mash is thick and creamy, but still a bit lumpy. Add chopped kale until evenly mixed with the potatoes.

Add salt, pepper, and additional butter to taste.