Irish Colcannon – Revisited

A couple of years ago I posted a recipe for colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of boiled potatoes and cabbage or kale. In that post I told you about colcannon and its history and lore. I even included the lyrics to a sing about colcannon. In case you missed that, here it is again.

The song “Colcannon” also called “The Skillet Pot” is a traditional Irish song that has been recorded by many artists. It begins:

Well did you ever make colcannon,
made with lovely pickled cream
With the greens & scallions mingled
like a pitcher in a dream?
Did you ever make a hole on top
to hold the meltin’ flake
Or the creamy flavoured butter
that our mother’s used to make?

Oh you did, so you did
so did he and so did I
And the more I think about it
sure the nearer I’m to cry.
Oh weren’t them the happy days
when troubles we knew not
And or mother made colcannon
in the little skillet pot.

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner I thought I would make colcannon today and share the recipe again. This dish is as delicious as it is simple and I think that’s what makes it special. Be sure to add a little melted creamy, bright yellow Irish butter on top. You’ll be happy you did.

Irish Colcannon - Revisited

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Ingredients

• 6 Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• Salted water
• 1 cup green cabbage (sliced into strips)
• 3 scallions (diced)
• 4 TBS butter
• ¼ to ½ cup cream
• Butter (salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste)

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, boil diced potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Pour into colander to drain. While the pot is till hot, add the 4 TBS butter and melt over low heat. Add the cabbage, scallion, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until the cabbage is tender but still a bit crunchy. While the cabbage is cooking use a fork or potato masher to smash the potatoes, leaving some lumps. Pour the hot cabbage mixture into the potatoes and stir to combine. Add cream until you reach the desired consistency. Return to pot and reheat if necessary. Serve with a well in the center to hold a pat of butter. Season with salt and pepper.